My Sweet Camelot
by LizardBeth96
Summary: Sarah has returned to Camelot, trying her best to deal with the loss of her friend and kingdom. And that isn't her only dilemma. But with Camelot on the brink of war, can she keep her secret hidden? Will things ever go back to normal? And can she allow herself to love? Sequel to 'When Camelot Calls'.
1. Chapter 1

_**Book 2**_

As a someone shook me awake, my hand instinctively closes tightly around the dagger hidden under my pillow. Once I realized it was only Gwen, I let go of it. I couldn't sleep without it there, and even then it was only a small comfort. It didn't keep the nightmares away. The same one most every night.

I just kept seeing her face. Kayla, watching her die before my eyes repeatedly like it was a sports replay. Nothing Gaius gave me helped to chase the dream away. I suppose it would be something I would have to live with until the day I died. Some things you could never forget.

Reluctantly, I got out of bed, though I really could do with a few more hours of sleep. Dark circles had formed under my eyes the past few days, giving away my exhaustion from lack of sleep. Gwen combed through my hair, helping me get ready for the day. She had finally given up on trying to dress me up, allowing me to wear simpler things. It was no use trying to dress up anyways. All I had left was a title now that Tahara was over run by Raul. Arthur argued with me, saying we would reclaim it as soon as the threat against Camelot was dealt with. But that wouldn't be happening any time soon.

I spent most of my days with the knights, when I could. Henry frowned upon me training with them, but I honestly couldn't care less about his opinion. Most of them treated me like a kid sister, especially Arthur. I had gotten pretty good since when I first started. I had even given Arthur a run for his money a few times, though I still haven't managed to best im him. Yet.

Luca, Riley, and Celso had also made their way to the safety of Camelot, reaching it days before us. Riley tried teaching me to shoot a bow, but I was clumsy with it. But since he wanted a way to thank me, so I wouldn't deny his persistent attempts to make me a decent archer. At any rate, it was a distraction from everything else. Just another way to keep myself busy. Luca was staying with Gaius, trying to recover from some internal injuries. But the worst had passed for him, and Gaius assured me he would live.

Many Taharan refugees had come to Camelot for protection as well. They revered me as their warrior leader, no matter how much I tried to discourage it. It wasn't uncommon to see young girls sparring with long sticks, pretending to be me. Whenever I went to visit among them, the children would flock to me, asking for stories of my battles. It was flattering, but there really wasn't much to tell. So instead I indulged them with how we escaped the city, and my impending marriage. I tended to avoid telling people about the marriage part, though. I hated thinking about it at all, much less talking about it.

Sadly, Elsa wasn't among the camp. And not a single person I asked knew her. I was worried for her and the other stubborn people we left behind that had refused to evacuate. I knew that woman would rather die then abandon the castle.

When I got down to the courtyard, I just caught a glimpse of a patrol leaving through the gates. Uther had doubled the numbers of patrols since the threat of invasion, not wanting to take any chances. He also insisted I stay within castle walls unless accompanied by Arthur or a few of the knights, and even then I wasn't allowed out of the city. The old me probably wouldn't have listened. But now, I did what I was told more often. This worried a few people, but they could think what they would. I choose my battles carefully lately. I rarely even fought with Arthur anymore, even for fun. Something about the threat war looming over you made you forget about silly squabbles.

I picked my way to the armory, taking my time. I never really could settle on a weapon to stick with. Since I lost the sword and daggers Kayla had given me, nothing else felt right in my hand. It was hard to explain, but that blade had felt like an extension of my own arm. Anything else was too heavy or light. And no other blade seemed to be the same length for me. I ended up with something different every time, unable to claim one as my own.

Deciding to skip swordplay all together today, I picked up a belt and loaded it with throwing knives. Maybe a bit of target practice would sooth my mood. My first throw lodged just shy of the second ring, with not much better luck on my second. I forced myself to calm down, slowing my heart rate.

Bullseye.

After my supply runs out, I go to retrieve them. A hand reaches over me, helping to remove them from the wood. "Given up on the arrows yet?"

I smile, not turning to face the voice. "Hello Gwaine." He hands me the knives he had plucked off. I take them and stick them back into the belt. "Thanks. No patrol today?"

"No, not today." I turn my attention back to the target, burying another knife in the wood. Gwaine whistles loudly. "Impressive. When did you learn to throw knives?" I wasn't sure exactly. I had just randomly picked it up to pass time, and to get a change from sword fighting.

Before I can answer, I'm knocked off my feet by a big mass of fur. I shriek in surprise, trapped under it. Something wet and slimey covers my face. I try to shove off the beast, but it won't budge.

"Merlin, I told you to hide him from her, not let him tackle her!", shouts Gwaine, though he sounds amused.

"Sorry! That dog has a mind of it's own! You try keeping him locked up.", he says defensively, looking entirely exhausted and yet very comical. His hair was spiked at awkward angles, and stayed there. Probably from the animals slobber, which I was now practically bathing in.

Merlin grabs the dogs' collar and drags it off of me. Laughing, Gwaine helps me to my feet. "Sorry. He was ment to be a surprise."

I giggled, crouching down to pet the large animal. He was a German Shepard, and a very friendly one at that. He licked my hand, trying to get at my face again. "Trust me, I was plenty surprised."

"He's yours. Meant to be for your birthday, but I suppose I can let you have him early." My birthday? Had I really been so distracted I'd forgotten about it? But he was right, tomorrow I would be seventeen. But how had he known that? I never told anybody my birthdate, much less expected a gift.

"Mine? You didn't have to do that!"

"But I wanted to. His name is Kenji, but you can rename him if you want. Since you insist on putting yourself in danger constantly, I thought you might at least consider taking him along when I can't be there." At the mention of his name, the dog tilted his big, brown head at him curiously.

Ecstatic, I gave Gwaine a hug. I'd never had a pet before, thanks to my mothers allergies, but had always sworn to get a dog as soon as I had my own house. "I can't thank you enough! He's perfect!"

As I practiced some more with Gwaine, my new dog stayed loyally at me side. Wherever I was, Kenji was. I knew Gwaine had meant for him to be a guard dog, but he was so sweet I couldn't see him hurting a fly. Then again, I wouldn't want to be attacked with his teeth instead of his drool. Not to mention he was massive.

I was enjoying spending time with Gwaine as well. We never really had just been able to do so when he wasn't on duty, unless you count the time in Tahara when I fell asleep. I was disappointed when Riley and Celso came looking for me, telling me to come quickly, I got worried out that something had happened. A thousand situations ran through my head of what could have happened as I follow them into town, Gwaine at my heels. When they duck into the tavern, I nearly killed them. "You could have told me it wasn't anything bad.", I say irritably. Kenji, catching onto my mood, whines and pushes himself closer to my side.

Riley shrugs. "That would depend on your definition of 'bad', my lady."

"Then what's going on?"

Without replying, they push farther into the room. I ignore the whistles and calls from drunken men, beckoning for me to join them. I shoot one of them a disgusted look as he tries to approach me, but that was nothing compared to the glare he got from Gwaine. He was smart enough to back off, going back to his friends.

Shouts of a pack of men are deafening. I groan as Riley pushes his way through the tightly packed crowd, all circled around a fight. I follow, elbowing my way through drunken me, keeping my hand on the hilt of a knife just in case. To my annoyance, at the middle of that fight was my dear Uncle Henry, drunk as a sailor.

**That took a bit longer than I expected. I didn't really have time to write much. So if that was confusing to you, that would be because this is a sequel. The original is '_When Camelot calls' _which you can find on my profile. Speaking of, I'm working on revising the first several chapters. *cringe* I didn't realize how drastically terrible my writing used to be compared to now. And welcome back to my readers from my previous story! I hope you stick with me! (And I promise the chapters will get longer).**


	2. Chapter 2

Henry swings at the other man, but he's so drunk he misjudges the distance and misses him entirely. The swing put him balance, sending him stumbling into the crowd, who only pushed him back. The other man takes advantage of this by punching him squarely in the jaw. I tried to push my way past the last row of men, but they wouldn't let me pass. I lost sight of the others in the mass of people. It didn't help that I barely reached the shoulders of most of the men height-wise.

I looked for Riley or Celso, hoping one of them would stop this before it got out of hand. I only spotted them passing wages. I groaned, seeing they had no intention of intervening for me. Not many of the Taharan knights actually liked Henry, seeing as he sometimes let his nasty side show through around them. They were probably very entertained at the moment seeing him have the crap beat out of him.

I shoved my way between the two of them, dodging the other mans punch. It wasn't very hard to push them away from each other, seeing as the cider had put them both in a clumsy state. It took them both a moment to realize someone was forcing them apart.

After they saw it was me keeping them apart, they both tried to push me away, annoyance clear on both of their faces. I held my ground, but the other man just tried to swing around me to reach Henry. I dug my elbow into his gut, making him stumble back and keel over.

"That's enough!", I shout over the noise. Everyone quiets down, staring at me in silence. I didn't know I could be so intimidating.

Henry slings his arm over my shoulders. He smelled awful. "That's my girl!", he slurs, a big grin on his face. He turns to the crowd. "Good in a fight, she is!" He goes to pick up his mug of cider again, but I snatch it from his hand, shoving it into the hands of the nearest person. "I was going to finish that..."

"I don't care.", I snap.

A loud "OOOOO" sounds through the crowd, but I pretended not to hear them, pulling Henry out from the building. He mutters the entire way out that I now owed him a round for his lost, unfinished mug. The boys and Kenji follow me, and I see Celso handing Riley some coins. The jerks bet on me. I didn't know whether to be flattered or angry.

Henry tripped, his foot catching on a loose rock, I tumbled to the ground. He grumbled unhappily about how his boots were too big. I stand there with my arms crossed, waiting for him to get up. But he just lies there, probably passes out. Finally, Celso and Riley each grab an arm and drag him along, back to the palace. "I'm going to kill him.", I mutter.

"That might be a bit harsh.", Gwaine grins. Kenji nudges my hip, fully aware I was upset. I bit my lip and scratched his head.

"I just don't know why he chooses to start into the cider _now_. He never has before, and I can't say it suits him"

Gwaine shrugs. "He's a grown man, you can't stop him. But I would bet he'll stay away from the tavern after you did in there. Besides, you can deal with him in the morning." I laughed. Stupid man pride. Anyone who saw the brawl would never let Henry live down having a girl finish his fight.

"You're right.", I admit.

"Of course I am! I'm usually right."

"And completely humble as well", I point out sarcastically.

"I'm so glad someone _finally _noticed!", he says, offering me his arm. I take it and we head back to the castle.

The next morning I stamp into his chambers bright and early. He was snoring loudly, sprawled awkwardly across the bed. Drool trickled from his mouth.

_not for much longer,_ I thought to myself. I snatched the drapes aside, allowing the morning sun to light up the room. Henry groans. "Close that."

Instead of obeying him I grab his coverings and drag them off of him. He tries to grab them back, only to find they weren't there. "Sarah.", he moans. "I have a hangover. Any chance you could get me a tonic from Gaius."

"Absolutely not. You can live with it."

He buries his face in a pillow, trying to block out the light. "Let a man sleep, girl."

"Should I let a man drink to much cider and start a bar brawl as well? Because that worked out so well last time."

He sits up groggily. "You're still going on about that?"

I scowled. "Obviously. How could you be so stupid?"

"Don't talk to me about stupid. I wasn't the one who got captured by the very man I had several people trying to protect me from. And not only that, but I didn't purposely _allow _myself to get captured!", he bursts loudly, infuriated with my scolding.

"You really are disgusting. And you know what? I'm sick of dealing with your crap." I turn to leave, not even caring anymore. I don't know what I was thinking. That I could talk sense into him? That clearly wasn't happening anytime soon.

He grabs my wrist, turning my around to look at him. At his touch I felt an intense anger wash over me. As well as a massive headache and nausea. The feeling was too intense. Too overbearing for me to stand. Before I knew what was happening I felt my legs giving out from under me. The world went black, releasing me into numbness.

* * *

I woke with Gaius standing over me, dabbing a cool, wet cloth to my face. The pain had receded, but I remembered it as soon as I regained conciousness. I sat up feeling a bump on the back of my head.

"You took quite a hit. Scared your uncle out of his mind."

"I'm sure.", I muttered, not loud enough for him to hear. I'm sure he was just happy to get me to shut up.

"Do you remembered why you fainted?", he asks, looking over a book.

I shook my head, not entirely sure. "I just felt anger. But it wasn't as if _I _was angry...", I trailed off, realizing how insane I sounded. Gaius grimaced and returned to his book. I go to sit besides him, ignoring his concerned look as I got up. I felt completely fine, surprisingly.

"Sarah?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you still have that mark on your arm? The one I told you to keep hidden?" I shook my head slowly. I'd meant to tell him, but it had slipped my mind. "How long ago did it fade?"

"The night Arthur came to rescue me. It got slashed. It faded afterwards." Oh God. I could feel all the blood draining from my face. I remembered what Raul had said to me.

_"My blood runs through your veins. We are of the same flesh. That is a bond more powerful then any other. Even my magic is within you, passed down through the generations. It was dulled through the magicless world of the mundies, never showing because it does not exist there. Here, I had to suppress it with a mark."_

"Sarah? Are you all right? You're pale."

"I have magic, Gaius.", I blurt out before I can change my mind about telling him.

"I know."

I raise an eyebrow, surprised.. "You knew?"

He shrugs, as if it was no big deal. "From the moment I saw that mark. After I realized you didn't know, I thought it was best to keep it that way. Especially if the mark stayed intact. Then it would never be an issue."

I stayed quiet for a minute. "What was that, then? Why did I black out?"

"It could have been a multiple of things..."

"Gaius, please. Just tell me."

He grimaces. "Well... there have been many names for it. But the most common and obvious is 'empathy'."

"Empathy?"

"There is many different variations. It is impossible to say what your gift is exactly since it is new, and it may even progress to be stronger. It isn't magic in the strongest sense, but a form of it. Did your uncle touch you before you fainted?"

"Yes."

He nods. "Then it is safe to assume it only occurs by touch. And probably only when the person you are touching is having strong emotions, which when implied towards you might become a bit overwhelming. In time you might be able to sense emotions without physical contact, and without fainting. But for now I would avoid letting another angry person touch you." I felt relieved. No moving objects or golden eyes for me. At least I hoped not.

**Grr, that was even shorter than the last one. I swear, I'll try and make the next one longer. Hello to my new readers! Thanks to everyone who reviewed, favorited, and followed! I love you guys!**

**Also to Brunette Goddess, who reviewed '_When Camelot Calls', I'm sixteen. Thank you for reviewing!_**

**_P.S. I just started a Harry potter story if anyone is interested! It should be up soon :)_**


	3. Chapter 3

Even with everything else going on, Uther still insisted in throwing me a party for my birthday. I insisted that it could just be ignored, I really didn't care, but he wasn't hearing any of it. So I just tried to stay out of the spotlight as much as possible, but that wasn't happening. I'd never gotten the big deal about birthdays anyway.

The hall buzzed with chatter and music. People danced in the center of the room, most with happy smiles on their faces.

I was happy I couldn't feel emotions of people without touching them, and even then they had to be strong for me to sense them. I didn't pick up on anything that wasn't focused. It helped if they were directed towards me, but they didn't have to be. Gaius and Merlin let me practice on them, and luckily I didn't pass out again. Maybe I had because it was the first time I ever used my ability. Or maybe I just couldn't handle the intensity Henry's drunken rage. I had even felt his headache. At any rate, I was avoiding that man. I'd barely seen him since yesterday morning. And I didn't think he was too eager to speak to me either.

I stayed clear of the dance floor for the most part, unless I was asked. Which I had been by a few of Arthur's and my knights. For the most part I enjoyed just watching. I had been the same way back home. School dances had never really been my thing either. I prefered to stay on the side lines. Besides, no one ever asked me. Even here, few people seemed to want to approach me unless they were noblemen. It was like I had a sign hanging around my neck reading '_commoners need not apply_.'

"Enjoying yourself?", says a voice behind me. I jumped slightly. That man had an awful habit of sneaking up on me.

"Gwaine. You scared me."

He grins sheepishly. "Sorry. Happy Birthday."

"Thanks."

The music from the song finished, a new one beginning with a more lively tune. Gwaine offers me his hand, winking at me. "I think it's time for you get in on the fun. Would you do me the honor of dancing with me?"

"I'd love to.", I smiled, following him out onto the floor. He falls into the steps more easily and gracefully then I did. Following him was easier than it was with anyone else. But I managed to make it through. "I didn't know you could dance so well."

"You think so?", he asks, quite obviously fishing for compliments. I only roll my eyes, which he laughs at. "I have many talents you don't know about."

"Oh really? And what would those be?"

He shakes his head. "I believe you'll have to wait and find out."

The song ends, making me wish it hadn't. But Gwaine doesn't loosen his hold on me, fully intending on keeping me for at least another song. I was fully aware of his hand resting on my back, holding me lightly to him, the warmth of his gaze on me. He leans closely to me, his lips almost touching my ear. "You know I might not want to share you. If someone asks for a dance from you, I might be inclined to decline for you just to keep you to myself."

I giggled, unable to stop myself. "The poor man who asks for a dance with me."

"Indeed. And I fear you are so beautiful you attract the eyes of many this night." I could feel my cheeks radiating heat, and could only hope he didn't notice. I hated how I blushed so easily. He'd never been quite so frank with his flirting as he had been tonight. But now he couldn't be any clearer if he kissed me right there. I wanted to stay there, dancing in his arms until late in the night.

"You're exaggerating."

He grinned mischievously. "You think so? Watch how the quickly the men behind you look away when you make eye contact with them." Just to prove his point, he maneuvers me around so I could peep over his shoulder to see whom he was talking about. True to what he said, the all found interest in their shoes or on object on the wall as soon as I looked their way. "Am I right?", he asks.

"Yes.", I grumbled. He slipped my hand from his arm to his hand, our skin touching for the first time. A warm, pleasant feeling washes over me. It was comforting and light, but at the same time there was an intensity to it, and a nervousness. I couldn't quite put my finger on what it was, but I didn't want him to let go of me.

To be honest, I liked the was he was treating me tonight. It made me feel... I wasn't actually certain how he made me feel, but if I had to describe it in one word it would be 'girlie'. When you carried around a sword and spent most of your time hanging around with a bunch of guys, you got used to not acting so much like a girl. And not being treated like one.

The rest of the night was a blur. We ate, danced, watched different forms of entertainment. I was given all sorts of gifts from new clothes, jewelry, ribbons for my hair, books, and even a few daggers from a some of the knights. But my favorite gift was still Kenji, whom prefered to stay out in the stables for the most part when he wasn't with me. It worked out nicely seeing as Uther wasn't very keen on him staying inside the castle.

I noticed Arthur and Gwen staring at each other on several occasions, plus they both got flustered whenever the other was close. Something was obviously going on between the two of them. I made a mental note to ask Gwen about it later. It struck me how good they would be for each other. Gwen's level headed, gentle nature would surely calm down his hot-headed, sometimes rude ways. Like yin and yang.

Arthur didn't want to give me his gift in front of everyone else, so I followed him out to the stairway outside the hall. I was glad for an excuse to get away from all the eyes on me.

He pulled a package from behind he back, wrapped in cloth and suspiciously shaped like a sword. "Happy birthday.", he says with a smile.

I take the package from him and removed the wrappings. Inside, as I had thought, was a beautiful sword. It was hard to imagine something so pretty was meant for battle. I pulled it from the scabbard, examining the blade. It was identical to the one from Kayla, my first blade. "Arthur... Where did you get this?"

"It was being pawned off in town. She told me it had a twin, so I tracked it down. I knew you could quite find another sword that suited you, so I thought you might like this one."

I slid it back into the sheath, shocked he would go through such great lengths for me. "I don't know what to say."

He shrugged. "How about a hug? Or a 'thank you' might do nicely."

I rolled my eyes and gave him a quick hug. "Thank you."

He nods, suddenly serious. "Of course... Could you tell me something?"

"What do you want to know?", I ask nervously, not sure where this was going.

He bites his lip, as if he didn't know how to continue."Sarah, you fainted yesterday and I found about it from _Merlin_. You haven't been yourself ever since we got you back. You haven't told anyone why you were wearing a wedding dress when we found you, and I respect that it must be hard to talk about. But i'm worried about you."

I sighed, knowing I had to at least tell him something or he wouldn't leave me alone. He was right, I'd been avoiding saying anything about it. I hated that he thought I was keeping something from him, but I also knew I couldn't trust him with the whole truth. "Gaius just said I hadn't had enough water. I'm fine. Nothing to worry about."

"You know that's not what I meant."

"Arthur..."

"No, Sarah. You don't even yell at me anymore. Not even one snarky comment or calling me a name every once and a while. What happened?"

"You seriously want me to yell at you and call you names?"

"No! I mean... Just tell me. Please. You can trust me. After everything we've been through, you know that."

The pained look on his face broke me down. That and I hated lying. Arthur only wanted to help me, and to be honest I really wasn't the same person I was when my adventures in Camelot first began. But was that really a bad thing? I'd grown up, matured. Sure, I'd become a less of a loud person. I could see how that worried him, but I was fine. Wasn't I? "Raul was going to marry me off, but I suppose you already figured that out."

"Well, yes. That was pretty obvious. The blue dress might have given it away."

"Yes, you crashed my wedding right before it happened. If you had been a few hours later then you had been, I'd be married off to a creepy, masochistic man. Raul thought he could use my marriage to subdue those who opposed him in Tahara. They wouldn't oppose me. But he would be the one who was truly in power. He would have brought me out to show me off to the people every now and then, but I probably would have been locked up in the castle for the most part."

"I wouldn't have let that happen.", he promises. "You're safe now. And we _will _regain Tahara. In time."

I smile at him. "In time. But we need to worry about Camelot now. Who knows when he'll decide to show his face here, and with an army."

He grimaces. "Alright, enough of this depressing talk. It's your birthday. You should be in there celebrating."

I groaned. "Yes, back to all people staring at me."

Arthur laughs at me. "I would think you would be used to it by now."

"Not at all."

**Yay, that was longer :) Though just slightly.**

**musicnlyrics- I'm happy to update for you guys as much as I can! I know exactly how that is. Waiting over a month or so for updates is torcher :P**

**MyLadyAssassin- Why thank you :) I didn't want to give her anything huge, or too common. **


	4. Chapter 4

"Sarah, slow down!", Gwaine calls after me.

"Not a chance!", I call back over my shoulder, flicking the reigns to bolt even farther ahead. "You catch up!" This was the first time in weeks I'd been allowed outside of the castle. It had taken several days of begging Uther to let me out, and even then it was only for a short ride. Of course I had several of the knights with me, but I was still enjoying my freedom. And it was even better now that the snow had melted.

I'd become much more comfortable on a horse since I had first gotten here. I even found racing Gwaine through the woods fun.

Gwaine. We had gotten close lately. He had even taken me for a walk one day, going as far as holding my hand. It wasn't as if he hadn't held my hand before, but this was different. All of those other times we had been running for something, and it was more for the necessity of keeping hold of me so we wouldn't become separated then anything else. This had been for merely no reason at all.

I caught sight of something red on the ground, trough some brush. I slowed, curious, and urged my horse toward the bushes. Before I can see what was behind it, Gwaine caught up, following my gaze.

My hand flew to my mouth as I pushed through, my light hearted mood completely gone. Five of Camelot's knights were all lined up on the ground, all bound. Their throats were slit, execution style. The man in the center had a dagger stuck in his chest, skewering a piece of parchment. You didn't need to be a genius to tell they had been dead for a while.

The rest of the knights dismount, and I follow. I knew exactly who did this, and it was a declaration of war. Raul would attack any day now. "It was Raul", I muttered. "Or some of his men."

Gwaine raises an eyebrow at me. "How do you know that?"

"I just do.", I say through gritted teeth. It was just an instinct, but I knew I was right. I'd spent enough time around him to know his style. This was definitely him. He liked big shows, things that were sure to catch people's attention.

"You're sure?", asks Sir Percival, pulled the dagger and parchment out of the man's chest. I cringe, looking away.

"Positive."

"We need to get Sarah back to the castle.", Gwaine says. "_now._" They all nod in agreement. we all mounts up, and we start to head back the way we came. But someone stood in our path. Someone I did _not _want to see. Someone I didn't think I would see again, except perhaps in battle.

"Meliorn.", I say, glaring at him. He wasn't in uniform, which made him less of an enemy in their eyes, but I knew better. Gwaine was off his horse in a second, sword drawn and pointed at him.

"I'm unarmed.", he says, hands raised to prove it. The entire time he kept his eyes locked with mine. I forced myself to stay quiet and look away. I had nothing to say to him anyway. At least anything that came out of my would wouldn't be very lady-like at the moment.

"You know him?" Sir Leon asks me.

"He's one of Raul's men.", I say flatly.

"I must speak to your king." Meliorn interrupts. Gwaine searched him, making sure he was telling the truth about being unarmed, before binding his hands. They weren't taking chances with him. He didn't complain about it either. Something wasn't right with this. Why would he just show up in Camelot at the scene of a murder meant to send a message to us? He would be immediately accused of doing it! I couldn't make sense of it.

They put him on Gwaine's horse, leaving me to share my own mount with Gwaine. I didn't mind. Nobody said anything, each coming to their own silent conclusions of the situation. Or perhaps just wanting Uther and Arther to make sense of it for them. I avoided Meliorn's gaze, and he said nothing. He showed no sign of injury, not even a wince as he mounted up. A wound like that wouldn't have healed yet.

"You're tense.", Gwaine says to me as he seats himself in front of me. I wrap my arms around his waist.

"I think I have good reason."

"Do you think he killed those men?", he asks.

"I don't know what to think." He nods, flicking the reigns.

Meliorn was taken straight to the hall as soon as we arrived. I wanted to listen in, but I wasn't allowed inside. Meliorn had admitted to the fact that I was going to be forced to marry him, so Uther was determined to keep me out of it, sure that he would upset me. Too late for that.

So I sat outside the doors on the bottom of the steps, waiting to hear what they would do with him and listening to the rain outside. I don't know what I had expected. That he would be thrown straight into the dungeon? That was where he belonged, in my opinion. He was probably sent here as a spy.

After what seemed like forever, the doors opened. Meliorn emerged, no longer bound, but escorted by two men. He glanced at me, frowning, before they lead him away. When he leaves, Gwaine also comes out. "What did he say?", I ask.

Gwaine grimaces. "Raul has allied himself with Morgana." I frowned. That was a name I was more than familiar with. Nobody mentioned her, unless it was unavoidable. But her story was well known.

"So what's happening to _him_?"

He shrugs. "Uther hasn't quite decided yet. But since he risked so much to alert us, I don't think much of anything will happen to him. They seem to think he's trustworthy."

Trustworthy? Was he joking? It took all I could not to march into that hall and start yelling at Uther, even though that would get me in trouble. They couldn't just _trust _Meliorn! Was Uther stupid? He was one of Raul's most trusted men! He was probably sent he to spy! And he shows up at the most suspicious time possible, and he's just let off the hook? One thing was for sure, I was keeping a weapon on me at all times.

To make things worse, Uther insisted on inviting him to dinner that night. I allowed everyone else to do the talking while I kept my attention on my plate, even though I barely touched my food.

I knew from the looks I recived that Arthur and Meliorn caught onto the fact I was angry, but neither of them said anything about it. Uther and Henry were oblivious. Or in Henry's case, to busy ignoring me to pay any attention.

Finally, I couldn't take anymore of Arthur and Meliorn's friendly chatting. "Please excuse me.", I say quickly, hurrying out of the room as fast as I could without making eye contact with a single person.

"Sarah.", Meliorn calls after me, addressing me for the first time. I can hear him excusing himself to follow me as I push trough the doors, which only makes me walk faster. "You can't avoid me forever."

"Leave me alone.", I hiss over my shoulder. I could do just that. I reached the door that led outside. Even before the guard opened the door, I knew it was raining and dark outside. But it was the quickest way to my room, and I didn't feel like taking the long way through several corridors.

"Oh please. I believe I am the one with cause to be upset. _I_ didn't stab you or leave you to die.", he says, without a trace of anger in his voice, and followed me out into the freezing rain.

I kept walking, even though he was right behind me. "It isn't my fault you didn't see that coming. You knew I would bolt the first chance I got. What did you expect?"

"Of course I did. I just hoped you wouldn't."

I scoffed, stopping to face him. "Why are you even here?"

"You know why." I spun on my heels, continuing to walk away. If he wasn't going to answer me, I wasn't sticking around to listen to him. "Fine.", he says. "You were right."

"I was right about _what_?", I ask.

"Raul. I had admired him, trusted him with my life even. He made me who I was. I felt I owed him. But you were right. The man is a complete lunatic."

I rolled my eyes. He wasn't very bright if it took him this long to figure that out. "I'm pretty sure that isn't a reason to leave everything you had behind only to come to Camelot."

He nods. "He needed more soldiers for his army. So he sent out a draft to all the surrounding villages. And man or boy over the age of fourteen was to be enlisted. Most were only _children._ To young to even wield a weapon he intended to send them off to be slaughters. He tried to take my brothers. I couldn't stay after I helped them run away. He was angry with me enough about your escape. He had already stripped me of my title and took my home. I had no where else to go."

"You have brothers?", I ask. He nods, staring off into the distance wistfully. So he did have a heart.

"Do not worry of them. They are... ", he trails off and stiffens, a second later I realized the cause of his sudden alarm. Somebody approached in the pounding rain.

Gwaine.

I felt the chill of the night in a new way as he stopped beside me, eyeing Meliorn suspiciously. For the first time ever, he didn't seem happy to see me. "My Lady, why is it you are out in this weather without your cloak?", he asks me, but doesn't take his eyes off of Meliorn.

"I forgot it.", I mumbled. More like I didn't take the time to grab it in my hurry to get away, but I wasn't about to say so. I felt the rain plastering my hair to my face and tried to keep my composure. "Good night.", I say before I would say anything I'd regret, especially to Gwaine, and flounce off toward my chambers. Well, as much as a soggy mess of a girl can flounce.

Half of me hoped Gwaine would remain behind to grill Meliorn. After all, his issues were with him, not me. But I had no such luck as he hurried after me. "Sarah."

I didn't stop.

Thirty feet away from the door that would lead to the safety of my room he caught my arm, making me stop and look at him.

"_Sarah._" A covered torch on the wall illuminated him, making my anger at Meliorn disappear. It was just Gwaine and I. All I could do was concentrate on his face. It was twisted with conflicting emotions. Confusion. Anger. Fear. Frustration. "What happened?", he asks, motioning behind him to where we had just been.

What _had _happened back there? I didn't quite know myself. "Mercy", I say simply, turning to press the latch on the door to escape inside. But he just reaches around me and slams it shut before leaning against it. "Gwaine.", I said, getting angry. Why was he acting this way? I turned, but he didn't back off.

"I don't want you near him.", he says.

"Gwaine...", I repeated, but I didn't know what else to say.

He sighs and edges away, avoiding my eyes. "I knew you had spent time with him while you were... captured. But I hadn't imagined you had developed feelings for him."

"Gwaine, stop."

"But I suppose I couldn't blame you. He is handsome. And good with words. I can see why you love him. I see the way he looks at you..."

It took me a second to process what he was saying. "_What?_ no! Gwaine!" Guys could be so stupid sometimes!

"It's understandable. I should have realized..."

"Gwaine, look at me." His eyes, slightly wild, stilled on my own. "I am _not _in love with Meliorn. I never have been." _You big idiot! Don't you realize how I feel about you_? Not that I was ready to tell him. It felt too soon. Too sudden. He seems hesitant to believe me. "And I never will.", I say, barely above a whisper.

I didn't know what else to say, so I turned back towards the door, intending to go inside. But he only holds it firmly shut, leaning over me, leaving me trapped between him and the door.  
"Dare I believe you have feelings for me?", he asks, terribly close to my face. Tantalizingly close. Even with all our flirting, all our time spent together, we'd never been this close. This... intense. It kinda freaked my out, but at the same time I didn't want him to move away. I found myself fighting for breath and unable to answer him.

"Sarah.", he says, moving to whisper in my ear. So close that if I moved my head our lips would touch. His soaked hair dripped onto my shoulder, making me shiver even more. "How long will you torment me so?"

"That remains to be seen.", I say, the corners of my mouth tugging into a smile.

"Ah, how you wound me! Such... is the excruciating... pain", he gasped, stumbling away into the rain and clutching at his heart. "Of unrequited love."

Then he was back, a ghost of a smile on his face, reaching around me to open the door. For a moment I thought he was going to kiss me, but he only rests his forehead against mine. "Someday", he promises, "you shall ask me to kiss you."

"Such are the dream of men.", I say with a laugh.

"Dreams of you? Only upon every single hour of the night." I felt a blush creep onto my cheeks, which seemed to be happening a lot lately. "Goodnight, Sarah." he says, turning to leave.

I grinned to myself as I reluctantly went inside, closing the door behind me. The warmth of the castle was welcome against the chill of my sodden gown and hair. This had been a strange, frustrating, and yet wonderful day. No matter how many new challenges it had presented.

**Finally I managed a longer chapter! I don't know what was wrong with me, but I had just had an inability to write longer chapters for some reason. And about Kenji not really being a Camelot sounding name, I know It isn't but I couldn't think of anything better. If I think of something better, I'll change it :P**


	5. Chapter 5

Merlin held his hand out to me. _Again_. "Come on, Sarah! Just one more time! Please?"

I groaned and rolled my eyes. He had been saying 'one more time' for the last five go's, and we had already been at it for over an hour. The guy was fascinated with my empathy, especially since it was getting stronger lately. I still needed physical contact, but I picked up on things less concentrated. Even a few passing emotions that hardly registered.

Merlin's emotions tended to be all over the place, which made it hard to concentrate on a single one. It made my senses go into over load. like trying to watch several 3D movies at once, not quite knowing where to focus your attention. "No! You're giving me a headache!"

He pouted. "_Please_? Just once more?"

"_Once more_, Merlin. That's it. But please, try to actually focus on a single emotion. I can't handle your scatter brain anymore. And I'm not a mind reader." He grinned as I touched his palm and closed my eyes.

"Ow!", he complained. At the same time I felt a sharp pain in the back of my head, as well as an overwhelming sense of annoyance. I guess pain came with the whole emotion thing. I knew it wasn't my own, but it was hard to tell the difference at first. As soon as I let go of him, the feelings go away and the fog cleared from my mind.

I opened my eyes, seeing Gaius standing behind Merlin with a large, leather bound book that looked like it weighed more then Merlin did. "How was that?", he asks mischievously.

"Better. But that hurt!" Gaius only grins and goes back to his work bench.

It had been his idea for me to practice on Merlin whenever I could. He wanted me to be able to separate other people's emotions from my own immediately, without passing out cold again. Maybe even do it without touch someday. I didn't want to think of what that would be like. The only way I could imagine it as being worse than a thousand bees swarming around my head, since it would mean picking up on several people's emotions at once.

Merlin was more then happy to help me. I think he just enjoyed having someone else with magic around, and seeing how my new talent worked. Although what I had wasn't technically magic. It was an ability rooted in magic, according to Gaius. But I was still the closest thing to someone like him around here.

After hanging out with Gaius and Merlin for a little while longer, Merlin had to go do Arthur's laundry. I wondered down to the Taharan encampment, looking for Kenji. More oftern then not, that was exactly where he was. That dog loved wandering about the tents looking for hand outs and playing with the kids.

Sure enough, I found him stretched out on his back, a few little girls rubbing down him vigorously. As soon as he saw me he rolled over, coming to greet me with his usual enthusiastic way.

"Princess!", squeals the oldest of group, grinning. And she couldn't be more then eight years old. The wind blew strands of her straw blonde hair in her face, and she pushed it away with annoyance. "You look really pretty."

I smiled, crouching down to their eye level. I really did have a soft spot for these kids. "Thank you! But please, call me Sarah. What are your names?"

She grinned even wider. "I'm Elodie!", she points to the smaller girls in turn, who shyly hid behind her, peeking out at me with smiles. "That's my little sister Laurel and my cousin Katie."

"I like your hair", says Katie quietly, pointing to the green ribbons holding it back. Gwen had insisted I wear them today, seeing as they were gifts. They weren't really my style, but now I was glad she had made me wear them.

I pulled all of them out, allowing all of my hair to fall loose around my shoulder. Her face lit up as I motioned for her to turn around. I quickly braided her hair and tied off the end with one of the ribbons. These girls could use them more than I could, and if just a silly ribbon made them so happy I would gladly give it to them.

Even little Laurel, who only looked about five years old, let me do her hair and tie in the ribbon. "Now you all look like princesses!", I tell them. From the looks on their faces, they might as well just met their favorite character at Disney World. I couldn't help be beam back at them.

"Thank you!", they all chorus.

"Do you want to play a game?", Elodie asks me, her eyes gleaming with excitment. "It's really fun!"

Katie nodded vigorously. "Please?! You could be it first, if you want!"

"Okay. What do you want to play?" Their grins only grew wider as Katie and Elodie each grabbed onto one of my hands, pulling me towards the outskirts of the tent where several other children were playing. Kenji lays in the shade, under a tree, to take a nap. The girls had worn him out.

Laurel tentatively handed me a piece of cloth. "You hide your eyes! No peaking.", she tells me. "And then you have to find us!"

Elodie tied the blindfold over my eyes for me, then all of them hurried away. I stumbled after them, guided by their shrieks of laughter and small footsteps. It didn't take me long to find someone, a little boy named Thorin. The blindfold then went to him and the game continued.

I don't know how long I played with them, because I completely lost track of time. Sometimes I would even allow myself to be caught by one of the younger kids. Laurel caught hold of my skirt and took the blindfold off, smiling the biggest smile I had seen from her. "I got you!", she giggled, her chubby cheeks red from running around.

"You got me!", I agreed.

I took the blindfold and took my next turn. But after a minute, the kids got extremely quiet, save a small giggle here and there. I would try to find it's owner, but once I got to the source, no one where there anymore. I waved my arms out in front of me, trying to find one of them. But they had suddenly gotten_ suspiciously _good at this game.

My hands finally found a shirt, but the person was much taller then any child in the game. I was the tallest one playing, and this person was much taller than me. Slowly, I took off the blindfold, finding Gwaine's warm, brown eyes looking down at me with amusement.

_Gwaine. _Anytime he was near I couldn't even think straight. I used to make fun of those girls who got stupid and giddy around a guy they liked, but yet here I was. And I felt every bit as stupid and giddy as they acted.

"So this is where you were hiding.", he teases.

I roll my eyes, handing him the blindfold. "You're it." The kids shout for him to play.

"I don't know..."

"That's cute!", I tease, moving behind him to tie it on. "You think you have a choice."

He laughs as I finish the knot and move away. He comes after me, waving his arms around. I skip out of his reach, my movements masked by the giggling of the kids. He ends up catching Elodie, who grins as she takes the blindfold from him.

He comes over to me, gesturing back towards the game. "I see why you like it here."

I nod, watching Elodie blindly chase Katie. "I think they cheer me up as much as I do them."

He reaches for my hand, lacing his fingers between mine. He was going to say something before a loud screech fills the air. An inhuman screech. My eyes flitted up to the sky. My mouth went dry.

Before I can register what was happening, Gwaine pulled me to the ground, forcing to lie flat on my stomach. The gar swooped overhead, narrowly missing us with its talons. I watched as it flew into the sky, intending to circle back to attack again.

The entire camp ensued into chaos. Mothers screamed for the children, all running about to find each other. Gwaine tried to pull me inside the safety of the castle, but is interrupted by a shrill scream. Only a child could scream that high.

Laurel.

The small girl stood frozen in terror, right in the center of the clearing. I knew that feeling, and I knew she couldn't move. And it was headed straight towards her. I tore out of his grip, running for her in a panic. Before I can reach her Kenji chomps down on her skirt and drags her out of it's reach not a moment too soon..

The monster seems determined to stay in the air, swooping for victims but never landing, which only cause more panic.

I scooped up Laurel from where she clung to my dog. I'd never loved Kenji more then I had right now. She wound her arms tightly around my neck and buried her face, wet with tears, in my shoulder.

We pushed our way through the masses of people, all trying to escape inside at once. Tents were being trampled, and the crowds pushed and pulled at me. They separated me from Gwaine until I couldn't see him anymore. "Gwaine!", I yelled, trying to make my voice louder then the screams.

But no one yelled my name back to me.

Laurel screams, practically making me go deaf. Before I can figure out what had scared her, something hits my back with the force of a speeding truck. I fly forward into the crowd before I even have a chance to scream, but manage to twist around so I didn't land on top of Laurel. My lungs felt as if they were about to explode from the impact. All the air was knocked from them, leaving me gasping to breath

I try to get to my feet without getting trampled, but keep getting pushed back down. It didn't help that Laurel was now clinging to my leg, sobbing. I didn't know how to comfort her.

A hand grabs my arm, pulling my to my feet. I had hoped it was Gwaine, but it was Meliorn. For once I didn't have anything bad to say to him.

Several of the knights were now forming ranks, doing their best to get people inside and fend off the gar. He takes Laurel from me without a word, grabbing my wrist with his free arm, and drags me along with him. He easily navigates through the mob of bodies until we reached the gates, where he lets go of me immediately.

"Mamma! "Mamma!", screamed Laurel, wiggling out of his arms. She ran straight into the arms of a hysteric woman, who stroked her hair and rocked her back and forth. The sight made me wish I had _my _mother here to comfort me. But at the same time, I was glad she wasn't here. She was safe.

A pair of arms wrapped around me from behind, spinning me so my face was buried in his chest. Gwaine "I'm so sorry. It was my fault." He rested his chin on top of my head. I could feel his hands practically shaking. "I thought you were still out there."

I hushed him, wrapping my arms around his back. I understood his fear. If anything had happened to him... I couldn't even think about it. It was inconceivable to me. "I'm fine." He only held me tighter, as if he was afraid I might disappear. I couldn't help but notice Meliorn forcing himself to look away, before sulkily walking off.

We stayed that way for a minute until he pulled away. "I need to get out there Arthur will need every sword."

I nod. "I'm coming with you."

"No. Please just stay here. It's too dangerous."

"You said it yourself, Arthur needs every sword. That includes mine."

He sighed, holding my face in both of his hands. His eyes pleaded with me. "I won't be of much help fending that beast off if all I can think of is protecting you. Please, just leave this battle alone. For me."

"Gwaine..."

"Sarah."

I couldn't ignore the evident fear in his eyes. He wouldn't forgive himself if I got hurt. I sighed. "Okay."

"Promise?", he asks.

I rolled my eyes at him. "Fine. I promise." He smiled slightly, kissing my forehead before leaving the safety castle walls.


	6. Chapter 6

I know I promised Gwaine that I would stay in the palace, but that didn't mean I was going to sit around doing nothing.

Nobody paid much attention to me, seeing as there was a giant, scaly, thing with wings attacking just outside the walls. A teenage girl didn't really seem interesting compared to that at the moment. I even got a spare crossbow without anyone asking me what I was doing with it. Next, I grabbed one of my night dresses and cut it into strips before tossing them into a basket. Before I left my room, I grabbed a leather cord and tied back my hair. I didn't need it getting in my way.

Going up onto the walls wasn't exactly breaking my promise. Technically, I was still in the castle. I pulled a torch from the wall on my way up. Saying the archers were are surprised to see me would be an understatement. Riley stared at me open mouthed. "Princess, you shouldn't be up here. You can't shoot."

"I can with this.", I said, setting down my weapon. "Wrap the tips of your arrows and lite them. The beast doesn't like fire." Several of the men stared at me with open mouths as I wrapped a few arrows for myself. I ignored them, setting my aim. I was used to being underestimated by now. If we could ground it, the men on the ground had a better chance of killing it. I didn't go for the main body. The flaming arrow tore right through the wing.

It shrieks, losing altitude but managing to stay in the air. Barely. I couldn't help but smirk. Who couldn't shoot?

The archers were still just standing there, staring at me like I was part of a freak show. "To arms!', I yelled, making several of them jump. They scrambled to get the pieces of the scrap cloth and set to work doing what I asked. When they finished, they all pulled to bow strings back, but didn't fire.

I realized they were waiting for _my_ orders. I now had their respect, and they wanted me to lead them. It helped that most of the archers were Taharan and tended to do what I said. There wasn't many from Camelot since a sword seemed to be a more popular weapon here. For once I didn't really have a problem with taking the lead. All I could think about was killing that thing before it hurt someone else. Someone I cared about.

I waited until I was sure at least most of the arrows would hit target. All of the civilians were now either safe inside or dead. So there was no danger of hitting them. "Aim for the wings. We need to bring it down, and cut Its escape." I readied my own arrow, locking it into place. "Fire!"

We fired the volley, and most hit the intended target. It screamed as it plummeted towards the ground, unable to stay in the air any longer with scorched tears in it's wings. "Don't shoot unless you're sure you won't hit one of our own.", I ordered. They all nodded in agreement. We didn't need any more innocent death.

For a moment, surrounded by the arrows and war, all I could think about was Kayla. It reminded me to much of that battle. Her death had been completely needless. She had died trying to protect me, so I would fight to avenge her. All the thoughts of her did was fuel my anger toward Raul. He wouldn't get away with just taking away the things I loved.

As we prepared for another volley, we were suddenly doused from head to toe with water. It was as if a gigantic bucket of icy rain had just been dumped on me, the archers, and pretty much everything else. My torch was extinguished by the sudden torrents of rain and the clothes we were lighting got completely soaked. It was pouring so hard you could barely see.

Riley swore, the sudden rain plastering all of his hair to his face. "I hate sorcery.", he mutters as he prepares another arrow, without the cloth. That comment earned him several raised eyebrows from the rest of the men. "Don't look at me like that. What else could that have been? He just sent his little pet, and here we were attacking it, so he makes it impossible for us to lite a fire. Besides, it makes sense that _he _would be here too." Nobody said anything because we all knew he was right. The war had begun, and it was quite clear Raul wasn't going to play fair. He was here, somewhere. Either him or Morgana.

I loaded up another arrow. Just because we couldn't have the fire anymore didn't mean a normal, well placed arrow wouldn't hurt. As far as I could see, I hit its hind leg. Not my intended target, but it would do. Now that it was on the ground, Arthur and the knights had a better chance against it.

"Sarah Nicolette Talbot! Drop that right now!" I groaned as Uther came up onto the wall looking absolutely furious. The use of my full name meant I was in big trouble. He didn't exactly approve of me fighting. Even if it was in good fun instead of a war. He didn't think it was right for a woman to be using weaponry. And he was even more outspoken about it then Henry. "You're soaked! And what are you doing up here? This is no place for a woman."

Riley gave me a sympathetic look as Uther takes the cross bow from my hands and practically throws it at the closest archer. "It's just a bit of rain. I can help.", I whined. I know I sounded like a five year old, but this whole sexist thing I got constantly was really old.

"Not in this weather. You'll get sick before you can blink. Besides, if you want to help you can help with the injured. I'm sure Gaius would love the assistance. I'm not taking a chance on you getting yourself hurt." I bit my lip. Now wasn't really the time to argue, no matter how much I wanted to. And I _really _wanted to. Uther scanned the rest of the men with a stern look, as if he couldn't believe they had even allowed me up here. Riley gave him quick explanation, including his suspicions of Raul or Morgana being near, which really only made Uther more eager to get me away from the wall.

I tried not to roll my eyes at him as he dragged me back inside. Tending to bloody wounds was _not _my idea of helping. I'd done it in Tahara, because there wasn't anything else I could do. But here, I actually could do something useful. I could fight.

As we descended the steps, he stopped me. "You are _not_ to go anywhere alone. Do you understand me? I want someone at your side constantly." I nod bitterly. Now I needed a babysitter too?

He sent one of my knights to escort me back to my room. I recognized him as one of the identical twins. They were somewhat of a commodity among my men, as well as being the youngest, and were hardly ever apart from each other. They were only a year or two older then me. They had been in training when I first met them, only squires. But with the small numbers of Taharan knights left, they had moved up the ranks quickly.

I just wasn't sure if he was Tolan or Thayer. I never was able to tell them apart. Not that they always told me the truth of who was which. They constantly pulled switches to get out of duties they didn't like doing.

"Thanks...", I muttered as he opened my door for me.

"Thayer. Tolan is out with Arthur's men." He didn't exactly seem happy about it either.

I nod, going inside. Even after I shut the door, I knew Thayer wasn't leaving. I felt like I was under house arrest.

I wrung my hair out as best as I could and looked for something to change into. Half of my wardrobe was full of ridiculous party dresses I would probably never wear willingly, but eventually something caught my eye. Familiar olive toned fabric. I pulled the dress off of it's hanger, completely surprised. It was the dress I had come here in. Gwen must have fixed the ripped sleeve and put it in here.

It was as good as anything else. I paired it with my good pair of worn-in boot and grabbed my cloak, just in case.

When I opened the door Thayer wasn't there anymore, and in his place was one of my least favorite people. "Do you have something against leaving me alone?", I grumble, pushing past him and walking in no particular direction.

Meliorn follows me. "No, I only have a problem with Raul being around. He really only cares about getting _you_. The rest is just to destroy anything you could want to leave him for. I know how he works more then anyone. And since... Gwaine isn't here, it should be me protecting you.", he stumbled over Gwaine's name with complete distaste, his nose wrinkling at the mention of him.

I rolled my eyes at him. "Thayer was doing just fine. And he couldn't possibly be in the castle. He doesn't sneak around. He likes to make a big show of things."

"Okay, fine. I know you, and I know that you'd try something stupid and try to get out here."

"Is that what you think? You don't know me at all. And you have no right to call me stupid. Just mind your own business and _leave me alone._"

"I didn't call you stupid! I said you can act stupid!"

"Save your speeches for someone who cares to hear them." He tried to say something, but I stomped into the hall, weaving through the crowds to find Gwen and lose him. I really hadn't planned on coming down here at all, but it wasn't like I really had a choice. The alternative was being followed around by Meliorn and doing nothing. That man got under my skin more then I cared to admit.

I found Gwen ladling out water to the wounded. Luckily, there wasn't many. But there was no way of telling how many dead lie outside. She tried to be soothing to a little boy who's arm had been raked by the beasts claws until Gaius could tend to it. The wound had turned slightly green, which was strange. A wound that recent couldn't possible be infected already. Gwen seemed to share my thoughts and grimaced.

She stood and came over to me. I could tell she was worried, and guessed that it wasn't just the wounded she was fretting about. "It's bad, isn't it? He isn't the only one with it either. Gaius suspects the beasts talons were dipped in poison."

I bit my lip. "I wouldn't be surprised."

She nods. "I heard you were up on the walls with the archers. Quite brave of you."

"Does everybody know about that?", I groaned. Nothing spread faster then palace gossip.

She smiles slightly. "Mostly. The king was quite angry when someone told him you had gone up there, I wouldn't be surprised if all of Camelot heard him. "

"Someone _told him_?", I asked. I was going to kill whoever had tattled on me.

"Yes. That new fellow. The one with the dark hair that's always sulking. He isn't very pleasant, is he?"

I scowled. Of course it had been Meliorn. I should have guessed that in the first place. "No, he isn't."

I felt paranoid after that, like someone was always watching me. I stayed inside like I was told, helping Gaius tend to the wounded. There was so much blood. Usually I would nearly be vomiting my stomach dry, but it didn't really bother me for once. I lost track of how many gashes I had stitched up and bandaged, working without paying much attention to the time. It gave me something to do, at least.

"Why don't you go to bed, dear. Gwen and I can handle the rest. You look tired.", Gaius says, putting a hand on my shoulder.

"No.", I say, shaking my head. "I'm alright."

Before he can argue with me, shouts ring out through out the walls. We rush outside to see what was going on, following everyone else. The knights came wearily back into the courtyard, shoulders slumped from exhaustion.

"It is dead.", Arthur announced, but his voice held no victory in it. The lot of them looked dead on their feet. Gwen pushed past me, close to tears, and launched herself into Arthur's arms. He held her close without hesitation. I knew something was going on between those two, even if they both wouldn't admit it.

"You stayed.", says a very shocked voice.

I turned to find myself back in Gwaine's arms, as if I had perfectly fit there all along. "Of course I did. I don't make promises I don't intend to keep." He smiled shyly at me; one of the few of such I got. It was that shyness that told me it was real, that his affection for me wasn't just some game. I found it completely endearing.

I noticed Merlin moving to greet Gaius. He winked at me knowingly, which made me think that he had something to do with the gar's death. It wouldn't surprise me if he had. Merlin seemed to be at the center of a lot of things without anyone noticing. It made me wonder just exactly how many times Arthur's life had been saved unknowingly by Merlin's magic magic. Probably too many times to count.

**Yes I know, no huge battle this time. But I have plenty up my sleeve, trust me :) I'm just getting warmed up! And I just thought I'd share that one of my awesome readers sent me a contract not to kill any of her favorite characters or break Sarah and Gwaine up. It made my day, but I'm afraid I can't agree to anything or else I'd give my plot away!**


	7. Chapter 7

"Sarah, wake up." I moaned, trying to curl back up in my blankets and fight my back back into unconsciousness. "Come on, sleepy head. It's time to get up. You're needed down in the hall. Uther said he had something he needed to discuss with you."

Reluctantly I sat up, rubbing my eyes tiredly. Gwen looked just as tired as I felt. She had stayed in my room last night, after me practically begging her to. I didn't want her walking back to her house after all that had happened yesterday. Besides, I was glad for the company. I hadn't had any girl time in a while. Not since running with Kayla. "Do I have to?", I whine, sounding a bit like a five-year old.

She laughs a bit. "Yes. He said it was urgent."

I flopped back down into the covers, pulling the sheets over my head. "I still don't want to."

She sat down besides me, pulling back the covers. "I'll have cook send up something other than porridge. I know how much you hate it.", she bribes. And it was totally working. After having the lumpy, usually cold, oatmeal every morning you got extremely sick of it. I gagged just at the thought of having to eat it again.

"Alright.", I mumble. She smiles triumphatly and flounces off to the kitchen.

When I finally dragged myself out of the warmth of my bed, I got directly into the tub full of hot water waiting for me. I leaned back, slipping my head under the surface of the water. I only emerged once I couldn't hold my breath any longer.

I bit my lip while examining all of my scars. Before coming here, my most impressive one had been on my knee from falling off my bike as a kid. Now I had several more, and much nastier looking ones from various wounds and runes. They served as constant reminders of the nightmares of Raul's fortress.

Forcing myself to stop thinking about it, I got dried off and dressed. I munched on some biscuits and sausages as Gwen combed through my soggy hair and Kenji laid at my feet. Once she had worked out all the knots, she braided it over my shoulder, leaving a few stray strands hanging around my face.

Kenji followed me downstairs, but even he wasn't as happy and full of energy as he usually was. The courtyard and many of the halls were still flooded with people from the camp. I stopped to talk to a few before heading to the hall. They were too frightened to live out in the fields again. Uther was trying to locate the women and children to homes in the villages, but there were more than most people would be able to take in. The injured had been moved the another part of the castle, so there was hardly anyone there when I arrived. I couldn't help but notice Henry's absence. Uther sat at the table, sorting through papers with some men.

"You look tired.", Arthur comments, looking slightly worried. I nod sleepily, still not fully awake. "Maybe you should go back to bed. I can handle things. My father will understand."

"No.", I say, even though I really wanted to. I wasn't letting anyone else make decisions about my people for me. Not even Arthur. "I'm fine."

He nods, frowning. Uther notices me then and stands, his face quite grim. "Sarah. Come with me." I followed him out of the room, allowing him to be a gentleman and hold my arm. Arthur trails behind us, not saying much. He had been oddly subdued lately, though I seemed to be the only one to notice.

I was surprised when he turned towards the steps that led up to the walls. After last night, I figured I'd be banned from even going up there ever again. Uther ignores my confused expression and leads me to the top. Pulling me right to the edge, he points out towards the forest. I nearly choked at the sight. Men in black armor stood packed together in uniform formations. I couldn't see the end of them, much less count them. I didn't know how many men we had, but it couldn't be anywhere near that many.

"How long?", I squeaked. The army scared me more than I cared to admit. The thought of it storming Camelot... I couldn't even think of what could happen.

"Until they attack? Impossible to tell. They haven't moved since they arrived this morning and we haven't a clue what they're waiting for. Perhaps darkness. That beast was only a warning of what was to come."

The three of us just stood there, staring at our enemy lines, each lost in our own thoughts. It felt as if I would never just be able to have a quiet life, free of bloodshed and war. I wondered what would have happened if my dad had never inherited that castle. But the moment I thought it, I pushed it away. While part of me longed for a life of normalcy, I would never give up what I had here. I love Camelot, Tahara, the people. I'd done things most had only dreamed of. Even with the hardships that came with it all, I would never willingly leave.

"Perhaps it would be for the best, if you left Camelot for a time. It won't be safe here. Not until we drive them away." I stared it Uther, slightly in shock. Surely by now he realized that was the last thing I was going to do. If Camelot was going down, I would go with it.

"Absolutely not!", I shout. Uther seems taken back by my outburst. "I won't repeat what happened in Tahara. My kingdom fell while I fled for my own safety. Most of my people went with her."

Uther frowned, but tried to convince me by speaking sweetly. "It isn't quite so easy for me either, my dear. Please, understand that-"

"What I understand is that if Camelot isn't safe, nowhere is. That army will only follow me wherever I go. If it doesn't end here, even more lives will be lost. I won't allow that to happen on my behalf."

"You're bravery is commendable, but-"

"She's right.", Arthur buts in. Both of us stare at him. I'm pretty sure my mouth was hanging open. "Once they realize she isn't here, they'll follow her. More people will die."

"Excuse me?", Uther says, sounding slightly shocked that Arthur would say anything to oppose him.

"She's safer here then if she went into hiding. As long as she stays inside the walls at least. Besides, shouldn't Henry be deciding what happens to her? He is her uncle, after all." Any thankfulness I had towards Arthur for standing up for me vanished at the mention of Henry. He was still a touchy subject.

"Her uncle isn't here.", Uther seethes. "He fled last night after the attack. The coward." I don't know who was more surprised, me or Arthur.

"_What? _He left?", I asked. Not that it really surprised me. He had always valued his own hide above everything else.

But he doesn't answer me, instead he chooses to leave the two of us on the wall in heated anger.

"He'll calm down.", Arthur assures me. "My father just doesn't like being contradicted. He's also pretty angry with your uncle. He doesn't understand how he could just abandon you when you need him most. And for a matter of fact, neither do I."

I leaned up against the wall, pulling my cloak more closely around me as I stared after him. "Thank you, but can we please _not _talk about my uncle?"

"Alright. I should be leaving with the men soon anyways."

"Out on patrol?", I asked, trailing my fingers in the groves of the stone.

"No. I need to join the men out in the lines. Gwaine, Percival, and a few others should be leaving about now. I'll follow a bit later after I..." But I didn't let him finish, instead running down to the courtyard. "Sarah, where on earth are you going?!", Arthur shouts after me.

"No time to explain!", I yelled back as I reached the stairs. I wasn't about to let Gwaine leave without saying goodbye to him. Not out to meet _that_.

I found him in the courtyard, getting ready to mount up and head for battle with Sir Percival, Sir Leon, Celso, and a few other knights. I raced towards him before I could change my mind. He was surprised to see me, that much was clear. "You weren't going to leave without a proper goodbye, were you?" I gripped his tunic, pulling him close to me, and kissed him. It only took him a moment to kiss me back. His hands slid to cradle the nape of my neck and the small of my back.

Being this close to someone was completely foreign to me. At least with someone I cared about. And I cared about Gwaine more then I had any other man.

Several of the knights whooped in approval, some of them even going as far as clapping loudly. "Well, finally!", yelled Sir Percival at the same time Sir Leon shouts "About time!" A little girl, who had been saying goodbye to her father, shrieked with laughter.

After a long moment I had to pull away for breath. Gwaine rests his forehead against mine. "I shall wear that kiss with pride until I return to you, my lady.", he says in a voice so low only I could hear. "And then we will have a chance to practice it."

He doesn't hesitate to draw again for a kiss long and lingering, making me dread him leaving even more. I could have stayed there forever, nestled in his arms. I was pretty disappointed when he pulled away.

Gwaine smiles down at me, raising my arm in the air as if I was the winner of a wrestling match. "Let it be know," He says loudly and dramatically, addressing anyone in earshot, "That Princess Sarah Talbot is _my _lady, and mine alone."

I rolled my eyes at him, but I couldn't contain my smile. "Honestly, Gwaine? Must you act so... Victorious?"

"Oh yes, I must.", he says with a nod of his head. "It really can't be helped."

I shook my head, grinning. "I wish I could go with you."

"I know.", he says. "But you'll stay here, won't you?"

"Be careful.", I say, choosing not to answer him on purpose.

"Don't worry, Sarah. We'll make sure to get him back to you in one piece. This isn't our first fight, you know.", Sir Leon says, clapping me on the shoulder.

"You'd better.", I mumbled, still unhappy that I was being left behind. It wasn't that I was eager for a fight, I just hated sitting around doing nothing.

Percival laughed. "I'm sure you'll get a chance to swing a sword sometime."

"I suppose." I glanced at the rest of the company, all waiting on these three to leave. "You'd better go.", I say, trying not to sound completely dreary.

He didn't look to happy about it as he kisses my forehead. "I'll see you soon.", he promises.

"See you soon.", I repeat. He squeezes my hand one last time before mounting up, glancing back at me as he exits the gate. Leon and Percival each give me quick side hugs while grinning smugly. Had we really been that obvious? I hadn't thought so. I nod towards the gate. "Go on. You can tease me later."

They grin. "Don't think we won't take you up on that.", Leon laughs as he mounts his horse. "Keep out of trouble.", he adds with a wink.

"Don't I always?", I mumble.

**Sorry this took so long. I was away for the weekend with absolutely no computer, phone, or even my Ipod :P So no writing for me. And sorry if it has a bunch of mistakes. I wrote most of it in the middle of the night when I couldn't sleep and had a sudden idea I needed to get written down. Why is it I always come up with most of my dialogue when I'm trying to sleep? Well, I'll stop rambling now. Hope you enjoyed it, and feel free to point out any grammar or spelling mistakes.**


	8. Chapter 8

The day seemed to drag on endlessly. Minutes felt like hours, seconds like minutes. I tried entertaining myself, but I hadn't realized how much time I usually spent with the guys. I didn't quite know what to do with myself now that they weren't here. It didn't help I was still dazed from what happened with Gwaine.

For a while, I walked the halls, passing out food and water to the Taharan refugees. I hand some fruit to an elderly woman, but before I can move on she grips my wrist. "Such a lovely girl, you are.", she complements with a wry smile.

"Um, thanks.", I say, slightly creeped out. There was something about her I didn't particularly like. I just couldn't decide just what that was exactly.

She nods absent-mindedly. "Yes..." She pulls me to her so she could whisper in my ear. I resisted the urge to pull away and run. "I'm a fortune teller, you know. My father was a sorcerer. He taught me a few things." She rolls her eyes at my horrified look. "Yes, that King Uther would have a fit if he knew. But I don't think you'll tell, now will you?"

She was right about that. Telling on her wouldn't be fair. Not when I would share her fate if Uther knew about my little talent. Besides, I wasn't so cruel to send anyone to their death. Magic was entirely bad. Just as you couldn't say a sword was bad. It's the person using it you needed to judge. "No. I wouldn't", I said decidedly.

"Can I read your hand, dear? I haven't had any fun since I got here.", she asks hopefully.

I thought about it for a minute. There couldn't really be any harm in it, could there? She seemed harmless enough. I kept picturing the bedraggled woman dressed as a gypsy, selling pointless knick knacks that did work and telling phony fortunes over a crystal ball at state fairs or an old shop. The thought was so amusing I nearly laughed. But instead I nodded and hesitantly held out my hand. She gripped it tightly and flipped it over so she could study my palm. I tried to get a read on her emotions, but either she was really good at hiding them or she didn't have any. Frustrated, I tried to concentrate more on the point our hands touched.

Nothing. I tried so hard to pick up on something, anything, that I started to feel a bit sick. It was like her mind was entirely blank. I couldn't even sense anything stupid, like hunger or fatigue.

Her face pinched in horror as she traced the lines on my palm with her freezing cold fingers. She curled my fingers into a fist and gave me my hand back after a few minutes. "You have best take care, dear. I don't envy your future. You have a good heart, no matter how stubborn you may be. Most of the time, that's enough to keep you safe and away from trouble wherever you go. But mostly it's not."

Before I can ask her what she meant she backs away, melting into the crowd of people. Frustrated, I try to follow. But it was like she had vanished into thin air. I shuddered, utterly creeped out.

Once I finished handing out food, I was bored again. And I couldn't stop thinking about that woman. So I did the only thing I could think of, inspect all of my weapons. Which were all in pristine condition, since I hadn't used any of them except in training. Still, I sat in the armory cleaning them for a while just to give me something to do.

If only I could give my brain something to do. I couldn't stop thinking about that strange woman. I had never had a problem with empathy before. I mean sure, it gave me headaches, but I's always picked up on the emotions. With her I'd gotten nothing.

"Sarah, there you are.", Arthur says, running into the room.

I raised an eyebrow, kinda suspicious. I'd figured he would have left by now. "You were looking for me? Why?"

He nods. "My father wants to see you again. I think he wants to apologize."

I frown. Speaking to Uther was the last thing I wanted to do. "But I'm busy."

"Oh, I can see that. Your sword is so polished you could use it as a mirror. It's spotless.", he says, gesturing to the blade on my lap. It was practically sparkling.

"Well I haven't polished the scabbard yet..."

"Honestly, Sarah. You're working harder at this than Merlin. I should fire him and give you the job. But, I'm supposed to escort you to him right away."

I sighed, knowing I wasn't getting out of it. "No, that's alright. I know where the hall is. I'm sure you have more important things to do."

"He isn't in the hall. Otherwise I wouldn't still be here." He offers me his arm in mock chivalry. "I'll walk you there." Seeing as I didn't really have a choice, I put my weapons back into their sheaths, took his arm, and followed him out of the room.

"So why does he want me? Uther isn't exactly the apologizing type."

"Have I ever told you that you ask to many questions?"

"Have I ever told you that you never answer any of them?"

He chuckles. "Honestly, if I had a gold piece for every question you've ever asked me... Well, I'd be richer than me!"

"I see you haven't lost your modest nature.", I grumble, rolling my eyes.

"Of course not.", he says as we turn down a corridor. He stops outside of a set of double doors, opening them without hesitation. When he releases my arm, our hands brush. I pick up on a nervous feeling. Probably about the upcoming battle. Who wouldn't be nervous about that?

I walked inside, but Uther wasn't in the room. I peaked inside the adjoining bedroom, but he wasn't there either. "Hello? Uther?", I called. No answer. Behind me I heard a faint 'click-click' sound. _Did he just? _No. He wouldn't. "Arthur?", I called as I made my way back to the door. It was shut. I reached for the handle, trying to twist it open, but it was held firmly shut. "Arthur, let me out!"

"I'm sorry, Sarah.", he says, sounding only slightly remorseful. "But I'm with orders. My father doesn't want you anywhere near the war, and I have to agree with him. You're safer in there."

"For heavens sake, Arthur! If you don't let me out right now, I swear I'll strangle you!", I yelled, smacking the door.

"It'll be hard for you to strangle me with a door in between us.", he laughs. I could slap him. I _would _slap him the second I got out of here.

Instead I slammed my fist against the door, which only hurt me more than anything. "Arthur Pendragon, _open this door! _You can't just leave me in here!"

"I'm sorry, Sarah. But this is for your own good. I can't risk you leaving. There's food in there. It isn't that bad. Just relax, it'll be over before you know it." Like I cared about food or relaxing. I wanted out.

"You're a prat.", I growled angrily.

"I thought you'd say something like that. Though, I was beginning to wonder where your snarky attitude went. Glad to see it's still intact."

I screamed some more, pounding on the door, but there wasn't any response. He had just left me in here, locked inside.

I was going crazy locked in here. Even with the size of the room, I was getting claustrophobic. It was worse then being out there and completely useless. I could actually _do _something, and yet I was stuck in here with nothing to do, reduced to pacing and plotting exactly how to kill Arthur once I got out.

If he seriously thought I was going to be a good little girl and stay in here, he was diluted.

Jimmying the lock was not use. Movies were liars. I only ended up bending several hairpins uselessly out of shape. Groaning, I gave up on it and slid down to the floor against the wall.

After a while, someone knocked at the door. "Miss? Are you alright in there?", asks a female voice.

"Just peachy.", I reply miserably. After I said it, I wished I hadn't. If I could get her to open the door, I could have gotten out.

"I'll check back in a while.", she assures me. "Just holler if you need anything." I can hear her hesitating outside the door for a moment before walking away, her footsteps echoing loudly.

Theroom gradually grew darker as the sun set. The only view I had out of the window was a small alley and part of the village, so I couldn't even see what was happening. He probably picked this room for that very reason. Jerk. Not to mention it was way too high to jump, unless I planned on killing myself. Which I didn't.

Sulkily, I lit a candle, more to have something to stare at then for light. I sat at the table, watching the flame flicker back and forth and wax drip down the side of it.

That's when I saw it. Across the anyway was another window. A window to a room that probably wasn't locked. Arthur wasn't _that_ clever. The gap between my room and the other was roughly seven feet across. Doable to jump if it weren't for lack of landing space.

The room I was locked in a was a spare, so it had a bunch of junk lying around that couldn't be stashed anywhere else, so it ended up in here. Among a pile of a dismantled bed frame was a broken headboard, which would work well enough.

I dragged it over to the window and propped it up against the wall while I tried to pry it open. When I finally wrenched the latch free, I shoved the board out carefully. The last thing I needed to do was drop it. The farther I pushed it out, the heavier it got.

By the time I had it positioned, finally anchored it to the other side, my arms were on fire. As bridges go, this one was pretty wobbly. For a moment I wondered if it was really worth it. I could fall, and then I would probably die... No. I wouldn't. I'd done much more stupid things before. And I couldn't just stay in here. I took a deep breath before easing myself out of the window.

**Camoc: Ah, the evil BBC. Always killing our favorite characters :P**

**MyLadyAssassin: Yes, I'm kinda sad about that. I'm considering starting alternate POV's. Not sure which knight I'd want to write from. Last time I tried to write from one of their POV's I ended up not using it because it felt so forced. So we shall see...**

**legolasgirl77: I rather liked that chapter myself :) Ah, Meliorn. Not quite sure where I'll go with him. But I have a few ideas. its just a matter of deciding how i want him to fit into the rest of the story. (I do admit, he's a fun character to wright because he's so darn complicated.)**

**musicnlyrics: As curses go, it isn't the worst! As long as I don't ignore it with the lie of 'I'll remember it later, I don't need to write it down!' Which I do more often than not.**

**I just want to thanks you all once again for your reviews :) They always brighten my day!**


	9. Chapter 9

The board wobbled dangerously as I inched across it. I stayed on my knees, clutching the sides of it so tightly my knuckles were white, and refused to look at anything but the window in front of me. I could feel it bending slightly under my weight, and was suddenly very grateful for my small size. Being short did have its moments of paying off.

When I was within reach, I pulled open the other window. Luckily, it wasn't locked. I had no way of knowing how long I had been in there, but it was at least a few hours since it was pitch black outside.

Once I was safely inside the other room, my breathing started to slow down and my hands stopped shaking so much.

_That wasn't so bad, _I thought to myself. Fears were never as bad as you imagine once you actually faced them.

Just as I had thought, the door in this room wasn't locked. But as the door to the other room opened, I dropped to the floor so I wouldn't be seen. If I was caught, I'd probably just end up back where I started. Locked up.

After a few minutes, I risked slowly getting up to see if they were still there. They weren't.

Slipping out of the room was incredibly easy. No one was even in the hall. Honestly, I would have thought Arthur would have given me a little more credit. A bit more challenge would have been fun.

But still, something was off. I couldn't explain it exactly, but it was like the mood of the castle had shifted for the worse. I felt it as soon as I left that room. The halls were much to quiet. No footsteps or chattering maids. You could practically hear a pin drop, which was quite the contrast to the usually noisy castle. On top of that, I didn't see a single person. Heck, I didn't even see a spider.

Paranoia set in as I reached up to grab a torch from the wall. Part of me wanted to call out and see if anyone was there, but I felt it was a bad idea.

A woman's scream startled me. I ran towards to sound, practically running into a maid as I rounded the corner. She stared at me for a moment, scared, before hugging me tightly. I awkwardly patted her back, trying to calm her down. "What happened?", I urged.

She clung to my shoulders, shaking uncontrollably with sobs. Which was pretty strange since she was much older and taller. I felt weird having to be the strong, unemotional one. Instead of answering me, she pointed out the window. I helped her sit down before going to look out. I can't say what I saw was very pleasant.

Several people lie on the cobblestone down it the courtyard. Probably dead. I could hear fighting from somewhere, but I wasn't quite sure where. Other people were being herded inside by men in black armor. I gagged, pulling myself away from the window before I could be seen and turned my attention back to the hysteric woman.

"We're going to be just fine.", I tell her firmly. "Can you get to the kitchen on your own?"

She nods, tears running down her face. "I think so.", she choked out.

"Good. Barricade yourself inside, and anyone else you can find on your way there. Don't be seen." I help her up and and start to move away when I thought better of it. I couldn't just leave her defenceless. But it wasn't as if I could bring her with ?e either. Reaching under the hem of my skirts, pulling out one of the twin daggers strapped to my calves. "Take this. Don't hesitate to use it if you need to." I closed it within her shaking hands. She thanks me shakily and heads off to do what I told her to. I still doubted she could take anyone out with that dagger, but it made me feel better that she had some form of protection.

Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, my torch and all the ones on the walls went out simultaneously, plunging me into total darkness. "Well that isn't creepy at all.", I mutter, dropping the torch and taking my sword from it's sheath on my back. It felt as if icy fingers were sliding their way up my back, making me shiver. I'd never been scared of the dark before, even as a kid, but right now I was nothing short of terrified.

I went slowly, trying to be quiet and clinging to the wall to guide me. Seems like Raul had an extra force to taking on the castle. Which meant the one Arthur and the guys were taking on was only a distraction to get them out of here.

As I rounded a corner, an arm reaches out to me, pulling me against his chest tightly and clamping my mouth shut before I could make a sound. I threw my head back, connecting with the face of my attacker. From the way my head hurt afterwards, I was guessing he got off even worse. His grip on me loosened enough for me to wriggle away. I whirled around and pointed my sword at him, making him keep his distance from me. But he only stays hunched over, spouting curses. Sadly, now I knew it wasn't an enemy exactly.

"God, Sarah!", Meliorn hisses quietly. "What did you do that for?!" I rolled my eyes, even though he couldn't see it in the dark.

"You should know better by now then to sneak up on me!", I resort. "Especially when I'm freaking out already! Did you see what happened in the courtyard?"

He straightens up, and I could practically see him frowning at me. "Yes. And that isn't the worst of it. Come on."

Going anywhere with him wasn't exactly appealing, but neither was wondering around on my own. "So what's your big plan? Because they'll have the exits covered by now."

"I know", he mutters, obviously not very happy with me at the moment. "They're herding any civilians they can find into the dungeons. Most of our remaining troops are out on the training field or on the walls. But they won't be able to hold them off for long. It's chaos"

"Then we'll go help."

He stops me, grabbing my arm. "No. We're getting you out of here. They're looking for you pacifically. You know that. Are you insane?!"

"You can't tell me what to do.", I say, pushing past him. "I'm helping. And I really don't care what you do."

"Arthur is going to hang me.", he groans as he follows behind, but he doesn't stop me this time.

He was right, though. The walls and fields were complete chaos. I suddenly wished I had armor of my own, but I didn't really have much time to dwell on that thought as we were charged.

Instead of dodging, I ducked down and slammed myself into his gut as hard as I could. If he had been expecting it, it would have been a really stupid maneuver. But since he wasn't, he stumbled back and nearly fell. Which was all the distraction I needed to slam the hilt of my sword down on his head. The piercing ring of his helmet make me want to cover my ears. He went down, and didn't get back up.

"Nice one.", Meliorn says. I barely have time to say 'thank you' before we're attacked again. I let my mind go into survival mode, not even thinking as I reacted to blows.

But as we fought on, a terrifying realization began to set in. Every time I strikes one down, they seemed to get right back up a few minutes later. Even when I hit them hard enough for them to be out for hours and have a nasty concussion. But it wasn't until I changed tactics, going for kill blows, that it got really scary.

With a scream I drove my blade into the gut of the nearest solider. He didn't even blink, and simply stared down at the protruding sword, sticking out of his belly. I cringed in disgust and he grabbed the belt and slowly pulled it out and tossed it to the floor. He was bleeding heavily, but didn't seem to even notice.

The zombie solider thrusted his sword at my abdomen. I jumped back, crouching down to retrieve my sword as I went. But the guy didn't even slow down. It was so inhuman.

I barely managed to avoided becoming a Sarah-kobob when an arrow sprouted from his heart. He dropped to the ground with an indifferent expression, and didn't move again.

My eyes widened. So they could die, but they didn't feel any pain. I could see everyone else was having the same problem. They would keep attacking like nothing happened, even with missing limbs or gashes bleeding so badly they shouldn't be able to stand, much less fight. They could die, but they felt no pain. I really hated magic sometimes.

"This is so messed up.", I muttered to myself, moving onto the next grotesque enemy.

As I finished him off, a startled yell drew my attention. One of Raul's men stood over one of the twins, who had lost his weapon. Creeper was dead before he knew what hit him.

Either Thayer or Torin stared up at me with a mixture of awe and shock. "You just saved my life", he says as I helped him to his feet.

"Well, I for one would prefer not make a habit of it."

He nods in agreement. "I'm going to name my firstborn after you."

I grin, handing him back his sword. "For the child's sake, I hope you wait for a girl."

He considers it for a moment. "Or perhaps I can just wait until they're all grown and give your name to the most stubborn, obstinate, and most wonderful of them all. Speaking of, you really shouldn't be out here, though I really shouldn't complain. I'd be dead if you were inside."

Shouts from outside the wall capture my attention. Our army was retreating back to the castle, only to find we were practically over run as it was. But what was even more frightening was the structures that towered above the battle. Catapults. And they were aimed right for the outer walls, were we stood.

Too late did my brain realize what was going to happen as I took off sprinting. A gigantic boulder launched towards us and slammed into the wall behind me. Rock crumbled to the ground under it's impact, leaving a bit gash in the top on the wall. The stone under me gave way, sending me plummeting towards the ground. I screamed, trying desperately to grab onto something. I saw a few of my knights staring at me in horror, but all were too far away or caught up in a fight to help.

My forearm caught on a small ledge, and I was barely able to hold on. I tried to swing my legs up, but couldn't between the weight of my skirts and the extra sheath around my waist. I heard someone laughing above me.

It was a girl, dressed all in black. She wore her hair in dread locks down to her waist. Honestly, I could see she used to be pretty. But now, she looked like she was trying way to hard to look like a gothic vampire. She held her hand out to me, smirking. I'd never seen her before, yet I knew exactly who she was. Morgana.

"Oh, don't look at me like that. Give me your hand."

"No way in hell.", I choked, but I didn't sound very convincing at the moment.

She cocked her head, her face impassive. "You're choice."

Accepting help from her was the last thing I wanted to do. But it wasn't like I really had a choice. It was either let her pull me up or fall to my death. My arms were already slipping, and shaking from exhaustion. I let go with one arm and reach up to her. With a smirk, she grasps my wrist tightly, but has no intentions of pulling me up. Instead she leaves me dangling away from the wall.

I had no idea how she was holding me up. Size wise, she wasn't much bigger than me. But she didn't seem to be having much of a problem with it.

"_Stop!_", she booms, as if she had swallowed a microphone. Magic, once again. But it had the desired effect. Everyone stops what they were doing to look her way. I could see the stunned faces of several of mine and Camelot's men. Others, from Raul's army, looked entirely pleased. Morgana herself didn't have a single emotion showing on her face. But I could feel her anger, her smugness. She felt that she had won already. "Drop your weapons. Or the little princess dies."


	10. Chapter 10

They listened to her. Though I couldn't see many, I heard weapons dropping to the ground. Even though they had done what she asked, Morgana still didn't pull me up. With a crazed look in her eye, I seriously thought she was going to drop me. My wrist began to slip from her hand as her grip loosened...

Suddenly we were both tossed away from the gap by an unseen force. It collided with me hard, knocking the breath from my lungs.

I hit the ground rather painfully, landing on my shoulder. Morgana landed a little ways away from me. She lay there, unmoving. I suppose I could credit that to Merlin, even though I had no idea where he was. I don't think I would ever stop owing him. I'd given up count on how many times he had saved my life.

Meliorn was there a minute later, pulling me off the ground and to my feet. "Careful", he warns, pulling me around some rubble. I could barely keep up with his fast pace.

"What are you doing?", I asked as he lifted me up, like I weighed no more than a doll. He doesn't answer, but it was pretty obvious was he was planning as swung me back in preparation. "Don't you dare! Stop!", I shrieked. But it was too late for me to stop him.

I screamed as he tossed me across the hole. My stomach dropped, and for a moment everything seemed to be happening in slow motion, as if I would never come back to the ground. I crashed into the men on the other side, who had at least tried to catch me. We all fell to the ground in a heap. As soon as I was standing my men formed a barrier around me, cutting me off from any attacks. The circle pushed their way to the entrance leading downstairs. I was shoved inside before I could protest. But then again, I really didn't want to be out there any longer, so I didn't put up much of a fight.

I hadn't even noticed it was Riley accompanying me until we reached the bottom of the stairs. I guess there was something about nearly dying that made you mind wonder and not pay attention to what was happening around you.

He pressed the hilt of my sword into my hand. I hadn't even noticed that I had lost it. "Run. It won't be long until someone comes looking for you. Try and get out of the castle. Find Arthur. And don't you dare stop. Not for anything."

"Your not coming?", I asked, panicked by the idea of being by myself.

"You can sneak around better without a man in armor following you around." I wasn't arguing with that, no matter how much I wanted too. Morgana scared me. And Raul probably wasn't too far behind her. He notices the look on my face and squeezes my shoulder awkwardly, trying to be comforting. "Remember, you broke me out of prison easily. You can get out of this castle unnoticed."

I rolled my eyes. "You're forgetting the entire army and two sorcerers that are after me."

He waves his hand dismissively. "After all you've been through? This should be easy. Now _go._"

I went, sheathing my sword so I could run better. Riley's pep talk didn't make me feel any better, but he was right about one thing. I couldn't stay.

When I heard footsteps coming close behind, I flattened myself around the corner of the wall. When the sound of their footsteps faded away, I raced out of my hiding place.

As far as plans go, mine sucked. I had no way of knowing which exits where taken over and which ones we still had control of. So I decided just to make my way to the training fields. I could cut through the woods to where Camelot's main battle lines were. I remembered Meliorn saying we were still holding it, so I figured it was my best bet.

Fires from outside lit up passages that had windows, but otherwise the shadows concealed me. Running down a staircase I tripped, tumbling down to rest of the way. I nearly screamed out when my head struck the floor once I reached the bottom. I was lucky, coming out with only some cuts and bruises.

"_Find her!_", A female voice yelled angrily, her voice echoing off the walls. Well, she wasn't unconscious very long. I needed to get out, and quickly. I went back the way I came, opting to get to the fields the long way. Better to be safe than risk getting caught.

My breath became ragged as I ran, avoiding searching parties. I couldn't tell what was happening. Who was winning. But in war, there never really was a winner. Only a side which accomplished its goal. I just wanted all this death to be finished. Everything seemed to be piling on top of me. Death, Henry's leaving, the empathy, losing Tahara, losing Kayla, Raul, and my families history. The only good thing that seemed to come out of it all way Gwaine. If I lost him too... I didn't know if I could handle it. I couldn't lose anything else. I wouldn't.

The door leading outside was in my sight. All I had to do was reach it and escape into the confusion outside. I was so close.

"You weren't planning on leaving us, were you? It would be a same to leave now. The fun was just getting started."

Before I can take another step something tugs at me, forcing me to the ground, knocking the breath out of me. Morgana grasps my arm, pulling me to my feet and dragging me away from the door. I tried to pull away, but her grip on my arm juts tightens, her nails practically were embedding into my skin. She walked so quickly I thought she was going to tear my arm off.

"Let go!", I yelled once I could actually breath, startling even her. Her hold on me loosened just enough for me to reach my sword. Even with it inches from her throat, she didn't even flinch. In fact she stared at me, looking almost bored, like she was daring me to even try.

I hesitated for just a second, but that was enough for her. The blade was wrenched from my hand, despite my attempt to hang onto it, and clattered across the floor away from me. I figured going for any of my other weapons would have a similar result and leave them where they were.

"So _you're _the girl all of this fuss is over.", she says with a sneer, circling me. I stood there unmoving with my fists clenched, staring at the ground. "I can't deny that I am the tiniest bit disappointed. I thought the warrior princess everyone told me about would be taller. Perhaps a bit more impressive looking, since you have all of these men simply _wrapped_ around your little finger." She twirled her finger around to emphasize her last statement, laughing.

I knew she was just taunting me, trying to get a reaction, but it still made me angry. I wanted to slap that evil little smirk off her her face. I mean seriously, did _everyone _need to point out that I'm practically a midget? "I suppose that means we can both be disappointed. I thought getting away from you would be harder. You'll never defeat Camelot if you let _little me _slip right through your fingers."

I swear she would have stabbed me with my own sword right then and there if a duo of soldiers hadn't chosen that particular moment to walk in. "There you are.", she hisses, not taking her eyes off of me. "Disarm her and then restrain her. I don't need to tell you what will happen if you let her escape."

They quickly do what she says. One holds my arms while the other removes my extra sword and some knives adorning my belt. After they had finished, the dragged me along behind Morgana. And they weren't exactly gentle about it either. Every time I tripped or stumbled, they would just jerk my arms up rather painfully.

The hall was empty when they dragged me inside. Which wasn't good. I couldn't remember whether or not Uther had gone out to battle with Arthur. I didn't think so. I flinched as Morgana sat on his throne. She flicks her hand in my direction, they release my arms and leave the room, shutting the doors behind them. I rubbed them where their grip had been the worst. I was definitely getting bruises there. Though that really should be the least of my worries.

Morgana shook her head at me, looking at me pitifully, like I was a lost puppy or something. "You poor thing." She seemed pleased with my confused expression. "And the worst part is, you have absolutely no idea." I bit my lip to keep from saying something stupid. Being a smart alec with Morgana probably wasn't in my best interest. When I don't say a word she continues with her little speech.  
"You didn't figure it out by now? Uther and Arthur only see you as a replacement for _me. _Quite a shabby replacement at that. The poor little Taharan princess who has lost her kingdom... Such a sad story. And so easy to take the pitiful heir under their wing."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes at that notion. If that was what she thought of me... Well she was even more insane than I had originally thought. If she had seen my eye rolling, she showed no sign of it. She studied me like she was the cat and _I _was the tasty mouse. "You do remind me of myself, really. Before I can to my senses, at least...", She trails off of that sentence, having a more interesting thought. "Did you know they have you staying in my old room? How poetic."

"Are you really so arrogant to think anyone would actually _want _to replace you?", I scoff, unable to keep my mouth shut any longer.

She only smiles at me. "Oh, I like you. You and you're temper. I think we'll get along famously. You seemed like a bit of a pushover at first... but you'll do nicely." She bursts out laughing at my confusion. "Oh, that's right. You don't know. Don't worry, I'll let your Grandfather explain everything to you. Once he get's here, that is. He's... Held up at the moment. But I'm sure you can't wait to be reunited. I know he can't wait to see you."

Actually, the thought of being anywhere near that man again made me sick to my stomach. I needed to get out of here. But that seemed pretty impossible with Morgana keeping me company. How I wished I could do actual magic. Then I might stand a chance.

At that particular moment, an arrow zipped through the air, embedding itself in Morgana's shoulder. She gasped in pain, clutching it. I didn't care who had done it, I just took advantage of her distraction. Under cover of the attack, I ran for the doors. Luckily, her stupid men hadn't thought to check my legs for weapons. I still had a dagger left. Idiots.

I pulled it out as I pushed through the door. The same men guarded the door from outside. I kicked one of them in the stomach hard enough to make him fall. The other came up behind me, trying to grab hold of me. I spun, driving my blade into his gut. He fell towards me. If I hadn't stepped back, he would have landed on top of me.

The other was getting to his feet now, pulling out his sword. I ducked under his clumsy swing, stepping closer and stabbing his chest in a quick motion. Dead. I turned away, not wanting to watch the light go out from his eyes. These people may have been enemies to me, but they were still people. And neither of them seemed to have been zombies like the ones outside.

Wrenching his sword from his hand, I ran. My heart pounded so hard It could have thundered right out of my chest. I could hear someone pursuing me, several footsteps pounding against the cold floor.

_"Stay in the castle. You'll be safe there." _Yeah right, Arthur. I'd feel safer outside in the middle of the battle.

Everywhere I turned seemed to have people coming at me. I had to change directions so many times it wasn't even funny.

I skidded to a stop as a dark figure stood in my path. Like an idiot, I hadn't noticed why they hadn't caught up to me yet. It was like they hadn't really been trying to catch up to me. They had been herding me. And now I was trapped. Surrounded with nowhere else to run.

The figure stepped out of the shadows and into the torch light. My blood ran cold, finding myself face to face with the person I loathed most. And he wasn't alone either. Two soldiers stood behind him, holding a slumped figure between them. "My dear, Sarah.", he grinned, holding his arms out to me. "Give your grandfather a proper welcome."

**Sorry if this one isn't the best. I had another late night writing session and haven't had time to review it. I just wanted to get something up tonight.**


	11. Chapter 11

"Put the sword _down, _Sarah."

"Not likely.", she hisses back at him. But even from a distance, I could see her hands were trembling. Her face conflicted with emotions. She tried to keep a confident air, but I could see the blinding fear underneath. I couldn't help but notice how beautiful she looked. Even covered in blood and dirt, her hair a mess, and her dress in tatters. I never understood how she managed it. She never put any effort into looking pretty, in fact half the time it was like she was trying _not _to be. She simply was.

"So much for Riley's diversion.", Luca groans behind me. "This is going to be harder than we thought."

None of us acknowledged him. Mostly because he was right. All that plan had done was brought her face to face with _him._

Raul sighed, not seeming the least bit threatened by her. "You have been a naughty, naughty girl. Put the blasted thing down and I may be slightly more forgiving."

I could see the subtle shift her her behavior. Her face set in a fierce expression. She snapped, lunging at him wildly, but still in good form. I still couldn't help but be impressed with her. In only a few months she'd taken to weaponry well.

Before she can land a blow, she seems to have slammed into a non-existent wall. Her face twisted in pain, the sword slipping from her hands. Her back arched just as she screamed. Blood curtailing screams that clenched my heart. I tried to go to her, forgetting all sense of reason, but the men with me gripped my arms to stop me. "You're no use to her if he kills you. And he _will_ kill you if you even touch her."

Gritting my teeth, I stepped back before I could be noticed. I was too late anyways. A man, bedraggled and bloodied, had already rushed to her side, cradling her in his arms. I felt a twinge of jealousy. That should be _me._ She had stopped screaming, but seemed to be unconscious.

"What did you do to my baby?!", he roars at Raul, caressing her face. "Sarah? Wake up, honey. Wake up."

I hear her mumble something and allow myself to breath again. She was alright. Her eyes snap open, staring at the strangers face. "No! You can't be here!", She outbursts suddenly, trying to push him away and shaking her head. "You can't."

"Shh. Everything will be okay. You'll see."

"No it won't!", she cries, reduced to hysterics. I clenched my fists, having to force myself to stay put. Raul seems to have enough and grabs her arm, pulling her from the man. "No! Let go of me! _Daddy!_"

Daddy? Her father? I thought he was dead. Killed in war, long before I'd ever met her. She tried to wriggle away, but he held her back. "Lock him away. I think Sarah will be more cooperative now. Won't you, dear?"

She glared up at him, but was shaking in his grasp. Whatever he'd done to her, she didn't look very good. She hardly seemed able to stay on her feet. But even so, she hadn't lost her defiant demeanor. "Don't you dare do anything to him."

He smiled a sickly sweet smile. "Don't give me a reason to." She opened her mouth to respond, but didn't get the chance to. Her face turned a sickly shade of green as she keeled over. "Gwaine, stop!"

I hadn't even realized I had stepped away from the others. They looked at me as if I was crazy. At the moment I felt like it. I couldn't just _stand here _while he toyed with her. I stepped back again, but this time I had been noticed. Several of Raul's soldiers glanced at me wearily, unsure what to make of me. Luckily, Sarah hadn't seen me. She had been slung over some thug's shoulder and carried away, looking barely conscious.

I tried to blend back into the crowd of servants and those of us only dressed as them. After one last suspicious glare, Raul trodded off after Sarah. "You can't be stupid like that again, Gwaine.", Riley warns. He was right. I had nearly blown the entire mission. A group of us had been sent in undercover in an effort to reclaim the castle. Those of us that were least likely to be recognized were chosen. Arthur nearly made me stay in the camp. Morgana would recognize me if she payed any attention. It took me hours to convince him to allow it. I could just stay out of her sight.

The rest of the company was mostly made up of the remaining Taharan's. No one would recognize them so easily as the knights of Camelot. I was just happy that pig, Meliorn, had been forced to stay behind. He fought Arthur tooth and nail about it, but was eventually forced to see sense. He had been too close to Raul to be allowed to go in undercover. He hadn't been happy about it, but eventually relented. I didn't trust him not to turn on us any second, and I didn't think Arthur did either. The only reason he was allowed to remain was his unswerving loyalty to Sarah. He acted like an unwanted puppy. I for one, didn't want him anywhere near her. At least she seemed to be equally annoyed with him most of the time.

"Time to get to work.", Thayer grinned to his brother, who grinned back at him eagerly. "This will be fun."

For being barely older than boys, these two had an unhealthy thirst for revenge. Their home had been taken over, their monarchy overthrown. And once they found refuge here, history seemed to be repeating itself. You couldn't blame them, but they might be a danger to themselves if they overdid it.

Our plan was simple. We all posed as servants, going about our jobs. We disable the enemy as best we can from the inside by doing things like poisoning the food, cutting straps on saddles, ruining weapons. Then we would sneak our own soldiers back into the castle, to finish this battle from the inside. Raul will find we dont fall so easily.

I headed down to the kitchen, a man named Celso following. He was tall, stockily built, but had the best sense of humor of anyone.

He quickened his pace to fall into step with me, slipping a vial of clear, odorless liquid into my hand. Gaius had assured us it would go undetected, and would make anyone who consumed it sick with some very unpleasant symptoms. And best of all, rendering them unable to fight. All we had to do was slip it into the food.

"You ready for this?", Celso asks me.

"Do you even have to ask?"

* * *

_**Sarah POV**_

"There you are!", Morgana growls when I'm carted back into the hall. Her voice makes me wince, due to the horrible headache I now had. "Did you see what she did to my guards?! They're dead! Both of them! Who's bright idea was it to teach her how to use a weapon?"

"Not now, Morgana. We have more important things to attend to."

I hear her scoff huffily. "Fine. But I want punishment."

By his silence, he was probably ignoring her. The guy who had my slinged over his shoulder suddenly dumped me, sending me sprawling on the ground. I stayed there, feeling too dizzy to get up. I cringed at the thought of whatever magic he had used on me. It had been more painful than the curse he used on me the night of the ball all those months ago. And even that had knocked me out for days afterwards. And well, right now I was feeling like I could throw up any second.

"On second thought..." Morgana starts again. "She doesn't look too good. What _did_ you do to our little princess?"

"That isn't your concern.", he snaps at her, dragging me to my feet abruptly. I swayed dangerously, the floor threatening to give out from under me. The room seemed to be teetering, but that was just my imagination. Raul tried to steady me, gripping my shoulders tightly. When he couldn't hold me up any longer, he waved over the guy who had carried me over in the first place. "Take her to her room. Instruct the waiting staff to have her cleaned up to join me for dinner. The man scooped me up wordlessly, and as easily as if I was a kid. Not even slightly bothered by my weight. Even in my delirious state, I couldn't help but notice the bloody gash across his forehead. It seemed to still be bleeding, but I couldn't be sure. His face showed no sign of pain or emotion. I cringed at the thought of being touched by one of those creepy zombie soldiers.

The swaying motion from his walking was it for me. Big and creepy seemed to realize it too, because he lowered me to the ground, half pushing, half carrying me over to the nearest window. I vomited the little contents I had left in my stomach, but mostly dry heaved.

Afterwards, my head was a bit clearer. But my stomach now felt like it had been trampled my a horse. My guard wasted no time with me, picking me back up the minute I stopped gagging.

He seemed eager to be rid of me, quickly depositing me in my room and leaving after giving the three women specific instructions on what to do with me from Raul. I heard the bolt click into place behind me after he was gone.

Gwen dragged me over to sit on the bed, feeling my face for a fever and fussing over my cuts and bruises. "You look terrible.", she muttered. Another woman brought me something hot to drink, which I drank without complaint despite its awful smell. It took away the wooziness for the most part. "What's happening out there?", Gwen asked as she cleaned a cut on my wrist. She radiated worry. I didn't even need to touch her to feel it. I could tell she was trying to put on a brave face for my and the others sake, but my stupid empathy saw right through it. At least it helped me think, giving me something to focus on.

I shook me head. "It's bad. Most of the castle has been seized. I don't know where anyone is." That wasn't quite true. My _dad _was here. I knew where he was. Words can't explain how happy and horrified I was to see him. He had been so confused. If I couldn't even protect my own father... I didn't know what to do. I've been in some pretty bad situations before, but now there was really _nothing _I could do. I had no weapon, the only magic I did have wasn't the least bit helpful, and I now had _two _psychotic sorcerers pissed at me, and who knew where the heck Arthur and everyone else was. It all just seemed so... hopeless.

"Come along.", one of the women, an older lady I didn't recognize, said as she dragged me to standing. I still felt pretty crappy, but at least now I could stand without keeling over. She undid all the buttons and tore off my ripped, bloodstained frock. It was so soiled from battle I couldn't even remember what color it used to be. My under dress didn't fare much better.

The new clothes they brought me were terrible, but they hadn't picked them. They were a gift from _Raul._ And he required me to wear it to dinner. Dinner? I mean, seriously? In the mist of everything, he wanted to chat and have dinner?

I squirmed as Gwen laced up the corseted back of the wretched gown. She suspected I might have a bruised rib, so she tried not to lace it too tightly. It was white, the sleeves sheer, and showed off way too much of my cleavage than I was comfortable with. The fabric was a flowy material that seemed to float with my every movement. But what was even worse was the shoes. The satin, beaded monstrosities pinched my toes, making it hard to walk, much less fight.

Illea, a girl who looked younger than Gwen but older than me, wove my hair elegantly with a string of crystals and matching ribbons. What Raul wanted me so dressed up for, I was scared to find out.

"One last touch.", Gwen promised as she slipped a chain over my head. A pendant, cool against my skin, made my smile. A dragon, matching the one on Camelot's coat of arms. It's eye was made of a single ruby. I had no idea where she got it, but it felt like the perfect little rebellion.

Gwen and Illea forced me in front of the mirror. The pretty dress and hair didn't hide the ugly bruises, red marks, and angrily red cuts. They had tried to cover them up, but I wouldn't let them. I'd rather everyone see them. See me as something other than a pretty face playing dress up.

A knock on the door made everybody jump. Gwen gripped my hand, as if she could keep me in here. I wished she could. Now that I could think straight, the severity of the situation seemed unbearable.

It swung open. While the other two stepped away from me, bowing their heads to avoid eye contact with the enemy, Gwen stayed right beside me. Her fingers stayed linked with mine, squeezing my head to reassure me. I squeezed right back.

"We're going to be okay.", she promised, picking up on my nervousness. "Take care of yourself."

But the person at the door wasn't big and creepy, one of the other guards, or even Raul himself. It was Gwaine.

**Sorry for taking so long to update. My Grandpa died, so I was halfway across the country helping my grandma with no computer access for a while. I hope you all like the Gwaine section! I'm experimenting with alternating POV's, so I hope it turned out alright. I'll try to update more often!**


	12. Chapter 12

"Gwa-", I began, but was unable to finish uttering his name in shock before he has push his was inside and bolted the door shut behind him. He looked different. His hair was longer and tied back with a leather cord. Instead of the usual red tunic, armor, and cloak he donned a brown cotton shirt and plain pants. I probably wouldn't have been able to recognized him without being up close.

"We don't have much time.", he says as he checks behind curtains and under the bed. He notices us staring and shrugs. "Can't be too cautious."

I just stared at his stupidly, probably with my mouth open as well. I didn't know how to react. Part of me wanted to launch myself into his arms, ridiculously happy to see him. The other part wanted to demand he leave the castle and rejoin Arthur before he got hurt. I wasn't opposed to giving him a stern lecture either. But instead I just stood there, gaping at him.

"Sarah, are you alright?"

"No, I am not!", I burst, unable to help myself now that I had found the ability to speak again. Gwen and the other girls seemed to take this as their que to leave, slipping almost silently out the door. I noticed Illea blushing profusely, shifting her eyes between Gwaine and I as she left. "Of course I'm not! You aren't supposed to be here! You'll get yourself killed! Do you think I could live with myself if that happened? Because it would be _my _fault. None of this would have ever happened if I hadn't come to Camelot!"

He takes me into his arms then, but what was meant to be a comfort had the opposite effect on me. The things Raul would do to him if we were caught... I shuddered, not even wanting to think about it. It would be history repeating itself. Just like what happened to Julianna and her prince. This was such a mess.

"Listen to me", he says firmly, sliding his hand under my chin and tilting it up to make me look at him. "None of this is your fault. None of it. You need to trust me to take care of it. Everything will be fine. I promise."

"No it won't", I moaned. "This is worse than Taharah. And Taharah is already in shambles. You don't know what Raul is capable of. And if Arthur... is Arthur_ here? _I'll kill him if he is."

Gwaine shakes his head. "He isn't that stupid. Morgana wants him dead almost more than Uther. And Uther won't let him near the palace at the moment." I relaxed a bit. That was one less person to worry about. He glances back at the door, a worried expression creeping onto his face.  
"We need to hurry. Raul wants me to fetch you for him. If we take much longer he'll send someone looking. I don't have time to explain everything, but when we leave this room we need to act like we don't know each other. I don't want you doing anything reckless, stupid, or remotely dangerous. Be a good little hostage and wait for someone to come for you. And please, try not to make Morgana angry. She seems to have a special brand of hate for you."

"Gwaine, you can't expect me to just-"

He cuts me off by kissing me. I'm enveloped in a jumble of dizzying feelings. But what stood out the most was desperation. But I didn't need empathy to understand that. He kissed me with such ferocity, as if this would be the last one we shared. It scared me a little.

"We should go", he breathed, pulling away much too soon for me. But he still held onto me, making no attempt to let me go. I allowed myself, just for a moment, to forget what was outside this room, away from the protection of Gwaine's arms.

"He has my father.", I admitted, even though it required a lot of explaining that I couldn't do.

"I know."

I stare up at him, utterly confused. "How did you know that?"

"I saw.

"You saw? I didn't see you?"

"You weren't supposed to. I didn't know how you would react. Besides, you were pretty busy being torched." I flinch at the memory, still feeling slightly sick about it.

"I couldn't believe it when I saw him. I still don't believe it."

"That's only natural. You thought he was dead all this time. And yet Raul had him all the time. It's a wonder he hadn't used him against you before."

I tensed, but didn't correct him. How could I? The guilt was insufferable. I couldn't stand not being able to tell him the truth. But I didn't have much time to wallow in it, because we had to leave the room before Raul sent someone looking for me.

Once we had left my room, we walked silently to the hall. Pretending to sulk wasn't much of a task.

Outside of the doors, it wasn't easy to let Gwaine go. But I did, and he was gone, down the hall and out of my sight. Leaving me to deal with Raul. And far before I was ready, the door swung open.

"Ah, Sarah. There you are. Won't you join me?", he asks, as if this was the most normal situation there could be.

My attention turns to the room as I walked in, unable to stop myself from peering around. Any trace of Camelot was gone. The red banners and decorations had all been torn down. The only things remaining was the torches, the throne, and the table that sat in the center of it all. And of course, the horrid man sitting at it's head.

He motioned to the seat at the other end. Grudgingly, I sat down, but remained rigid. He raised his glass to me in a toast, smiling smugly. I didn't touch the goblet set in front of me. He didn't seem to notice.

"You do know", he continues, despite my glare. I contemplated throwing the butter knife at him. But I didn't want another repeat of earlier. I'd have to pick my battles carefully from now on. Despite what my impulses urged me to do. Now wasn't the best time to have a temper. "That I am having a difficult time figuring out what to do with you. I tried training you, but you only used it against me. Marrying you off obviously didn't work. And the groom even followed you after you left me." He chuckled, evidently finding this hilarious. "How is Alec, anyways?"

"I wouldn't know. Seeing as your men have taken to slaughtering anyone they can. I don't know where my friends are. Not even Meliorn.", I said with venom.

"Meliorn? You still call him that? I happen to know he's always hated that you call him that. It's so impersonal to call a person by their surname, don't you think? The poor man diluted himself thinking he could actually persuade you into loving him. But then again, you're much to stubborn to appreciate what has been given to you."

"What was _given _to me? Don't you mean what was _forced _upon me?"

He sighs, standing from his seat. "You need to stop fighting me, Sarah. Perhaps you need to be reminding of who I have downstairs..."

Frustrated I stood from my seat as well, done containing my anger. Even for Gwaine's sake. "Leave him out of this! You don't get it! Stop trying to make me like you, and be your perfect little grand daughter! I am not your second chance with Julianna!"

"Don't you dare say her name!", he yelled, crossing the space between us quicker than could be humanly possible. His hand closed around my throat, lifting my up to my tiptoes. I was too panicked to do anything to defend myself. I gasped for air, feeling his anger coursing through me. But at least I could keep it separate from my emotions. And I didn't pass out like I had with Henry.

He stared at me for a second, dazed. His eyes dilated, glossing over as they looked into mine. And suddenly I didn't seem to be in Camelot anymore.

_The first thing I noticed was the crisp breeze against my face. It smelled of freshly fallen rain and earth. I was standing in a forest of sorts. But instead of tall, looming trees, I was surrounded by short, stocky trees that were covered in blossoms instead of leaves. They ranged in color, from deep purple to a light orange. But a bright, crisp pink seemed to be the most common. It was beautiful, but seemed as if it wasn't real. Like any moment it would be whisked away, leaving my with only a haunting memory of it._

_"Father!", shrieks a giggling voice. I turn to see a young girl, probably about seven-years-old, running through the trees. Flowers fell from the tree, dancing in the air as the wind catch them. "Father look what I got!"_

_She moved closer to me, holding out a small frog in her small hands. She ran right to me, laughing as the frog tried to escape from her grasp. "Isn't it cute?", she asked me._

_I heard myself chuckle, a deep throaty laugh that wasn't mine. "Not quite as cute as you.", I say, kneeling to her height._

_"Father, don't be silly!", she giggles, setting the frog in the grass and watching it hop away. He eyes, bright with glee, turned back to look at me. The same eyes I saw every time I looked in the mirror. I finally realized who she was. A young Julianna._

_The scene changed in blurs. I caught images of Julianna growing up. Then she disappeared from the pictures completely. The things I saw became increasingly grotesque. A burning village, it's people running every which way in a panic as their homes were destroyed. A crying father executed for a deed his son had done, to save him from suffering the same fate. Families being torn apart for various, ridiculous reasons. Massacres, blood, so much blood. I couldn't stand what I was seeing. But most of all, I felt the bitter rage in it all. And the shame of it all once it was over._

"Stop it!", Raul roars in outrage, his fist connecting with my nose. Dazed, I fell away from him and ended up on the floor. He panted, staring at me with a look of pure murder. I tensed, but stayed where I was, panting and staring in shock as blood dripped from my nose onto my hand.. "What did you do?", he demands, keeping his distance from me.

"I don-"

"Do not lie to me, Sarah. It would be most unwise." Without another word he grabbed my arm, pulling the sleeve off of my right shoulder to reveal the skin where the rune that had once stifled the magic in my blood. But now, all that was left of it was a faint scar. I could feel the confusion clearing from his emotions. He began to laugh as he let go of me, but avoided touching me anywhere that wasn't covered with fabric. "You have an interesting gift. I'm quite impressed. rare, but not unheard of. Don't try it on me again."

He called for a guard. "Shoot her if she tries anything. Somewhere she'll live through. The knee perhaps." The man drew his bow from his back uncertainly, but aimed for my knees as he was told. I knew what would happen if he did shoot me. With that large a bow at this range, my knee would shatter. I probably wouldn't be able to walk right again, if I even could walk once it healed.

I was still trying to understand what I had just seen. I wasn't his thoughts, that much was clear. A memory, perhaps? Or a desire? One thing was certain, I had unintentionally gotten inside his mind. And he wasn't happy about it, and I didn't like what had seen.

**Sorry it isn't longer, but I was in a hurry to get it up. Especially since I've been a horrible updater lately :P I miss the days of being able to update every day. Thanks for all the kind works about my grandpa :) You guys are honestly the best!**


	13. Chapter 13

I woke the next morning, bolting straight up in bed. My heart was racing, my nightgown was drenched with sweat and clung to me. It was obvious I had had a nightmare, but I couldn't remember what it was about.

Out my window, I could see the sun was just peaking over the horizon. Gwen lie still asleep on a cot on the other side of the room. She wasn't allowed to leave the walls of the castle. No one was. And it comforted me to have her here. To have an ally in all of this. One I didn't have to pretend not to see or notice. I drew strength from her, just as she did from me. Even if she didn't know it, she was courageous by her own right. She stood by her people, took every heartache in stride. I had never once seen her break, no matter what she was feeling on the inside.

Cautiously, I crept out of bed. After stripping off the nightgown, I found a simple dress that I could get on without Gwen's help. With some difficulty, thanks to my bruised rip, I slipped it over my head and tightened and tied the lacing on the back. My stomach and chest were wrapped so tightly with bandages I could hardly breathe, but at least the pain wasn't horrible.

I stared at myself in the mirror. Raul had nearly broken my nose last night. Someone had set it back into place, but my face now seemed to be permanently red.

I couldn't leave the room without being followed. A guard was stationed outside at every moment. Raul couldn't look at my without a glare of loathing. I think having me inside of his head scared him more that he will ever admit. His facade of a loving grandfather was stripped away. I wasn't sure what to think of it. At least I wasn't treated with the false care that had irked me so much over my last captivity. But the open hostility was unpredictable. His emotions were unstable about me. I couldn't tell when he would snap. So I had to be careful what I said.

"My lady?", says Gwen in a tired voice, yawning as she sat up.

"Go back to sleep, Gwen. I'm only going for a walk."

"A walk? Now? Alone?"

"I'm never alone. Now more than ever.", I retaliate. Someone would follow me, keeping watch and reporting everything I did and everywhere I went to Raul or Morgana.

"I meant without someone you trust."

"I'll be fine.", I assure her. "I didn't mean to wake you."

She frowns at me, tossing aside her blankets. "I'm coming with you. If you can't sleep, then neither will I." She notices I am fully clothed, and her frown deepens. "You shouldn't do that on your own. You'll make it worse."

"I can manage.", I mumble as she quickly dresses herself.

Ignoring me, she tugs on her shoes. If I ever had an older sister, I imagine she would be very much like Gwen. Bossy and maternal all at the same time. I find I can't be annoyed with her wanting to come along. "Come on then."

As I suspected, there was a man standing a little ways down from my door. We turn the opposite way, but footsteps follow. Gwen nervously grabs my hand. I knew she didn't want to be out here, though she wouldn't admit it to me. Her nervousness intensified my own, making me a bit jittery.

"It's so quiet. It's never this quiet.", she says as we continued down the dark corridor.

And it was. Eerily so. The sounds of battle had stopped. The noise of battle cries and metal on metal were gone. We stopped at a window, hoping to see what was happening beyond the castle. But it was all quiet and darkness.

"It isn't over.", I said. "It won't end until either Raul or Uther and Arthur are dead. Neither will give up until then." She pales, staring out in horror.  
"Arthur isn't dead.", I amended. "We would know if he was. Morgana would gloat of it until the end of time. Especially to us."

That calms her, but she remains incredibly worried. And so do I. The fighting hadn't stopped since it had begun. Something had to be going on for it to have stopped now.

"What was it like? The war in Taharah I mean. And your rescue. Not one person who was there will speak of it.", she says suddenly, her voice hushed so we wouldn't be overheard. This was a question many people had asked me. I never liked talking about it. But with Gwen, I didn't mind. She was easy to talk to, and always knew the right things to say.

"Horrid.", I began, deciding horrid was as accurate a word as any. "So many lives were lost. So many brave men leaving their families behind. They were launching boulders at the walls. Everyone knew the walls would fall eventually. But that didn't squash out the hope. I didn't see much of the battle, except what people told me. I stayed busy attending to wounded men. I thought it would make me feel better, as if I was doing something helpful. But instead, the number of the men coming in was discouraging. And then we ran. And my home fell. I won't watch the same thing happen to Camelot. We'll take her back."

She stayed quiet for a long moment, mulling over the story. It was strange to say it out loud. Like all of this couldn't possibly have happened to me. It was insane. Me- small town American girl getting caught up in all of this. "Then you and the red head split up from the men."

I nodded slowly, remembering Kayla and her snarky attitude. I missed her. "We ran for a few days. Raul's men caught up to us. I got injured. It was me or both of us. So I made Kayla go ahead. At least Camelot would get some warning. They could prepare for this. Not that it seems to matter so far."

"You're stronger than you think, you know. Everyone else can see it. You've endured so much, and yet you keep going. You give others the strength to persevere. Much like Arthur, I suppose. I think that's why you argue so much. Your _too much _alike. Sacrificing yourself for your friend and your kingdom, that's something he would do."

I shrug. "It hasn't done much good. They've seized the castle. They have Taharah. He has my father locked away somewhere...", I trailed off. My father. He was probably going mental. I was used to all of this, but him... I didn't know how long he had been here. I could just imagine him freaking out over this whole medieval thing. And the last time he saw me, I was writhing in pain and screaming. I could only guess how badly he was reacting. And I hadn't even thought much about him, pushing saving him as a secondary task to everything else.

As if from nowhere, a pair of arms encircled me. For a moment I thought it might be Gwaine, but there was nothing gentle about it. Screaming was no use, no one here would actually help me.

"Sarah!", Gwen screamed, trying to claw her way past another man holding her back, dragging her away from me.

"Gwen!", I shout back, thrashing as hard as I could against my captor. I threw blind strikes and kicks, none of which connected. "Let go of me!"

He chuckled, dragging me easily away from her until she disappeared from my sight, still screaming for me. I couldn't see his face, which made me even angrier. What kind of coward attacked unarmed women with their backs turned?

It didn't take long for me to lose energy. Slowly, but surely it came. Crippling, horrible aching in my ribs. I doubled over, only kept upright by my captor.

"No more fight left in you?", he taunts, whispering in my ear. His breath is horrible, smelling of ale and meat. Though I can't see his face, I know he is tall. And not just taller than me, but a few inches taller than the average man. His muscles were relaxed, thinking he had me under total submission. "I must say, I'm a bit disappointed. You've become something of a legend among the kingdoms. They call you fierce lady-warrior. I was expecting more of a challenge."

His words only frustrate me even more. I let my feet drag until they're positioned behind his. He thinks it is another sign of my defeat, and I let him, for a moment. Ignoring the pain, I stand up and through my shoulders back. Surprised, he's thrown off balance. He trips over my legs and topples to the ground. I don't waste any time waiting for his reaction, running down the corridor while clutching my side.

It isn't long until I hear his pounding footsteps following me. I quicken my pace, trying to get some distance from him.

I skid around a corner, grabbing a torch from the wall to use as a weapon. I pressed myself into a groove in the wall, blocking me from his immediate view. When he rounded the corner, I stepped out from my hiding place and swung with as much force as I could. It hit him squarely in the gut, knocking the breath out of him as he doubled over.

He lifted up a finger, wagging it at me as if he was scolding a child. "That... was... not... very nice.", he wheezed, trying to stand upright again. His hair fell in his face in a dark mob. He wore armor, but it wasn't like any I had ever seen. It was mostly leather, and tight fitting. Surprisingly, he hadn't tried to unsheath either of the two swords strapped across his back. He didn't seem to have any other weapons on him.

He tried to come closer, but I lifted the torch as a warning. The next blow would be to his head.

"I must say, I admire your spirit.", he says, lifting his hands up in slight surrender. "I wouldn't expect it from someone in your... situation."

"Where is Gwen?", I demand, ignoring him.

"Who? Oh, the other girl. She was taken back to your room. Unharmed, I assure you."

"Wh-"

"Cenred!", Roars an angry voice. That was a name I recognized. But where I knew it from escaped me.

Raul comes storming down the hall, his expression pure murder, and for once it wasn't directed at me. He wrenched the torch from my hands and tosses it aside, shoving me behind him to create a barrier between Cenred and I. He keeps a firm hold on my arm to keep me there. Cenred winks at me, entirely unphased by his anger. "Hello Raul. This is how you welcome your guests? I must say, I'm offended."

"You always were a coward.", Raul growls. "Not showing up until the castle has been taken. You promised me your army."

"No. I promised you my army _if _you could prove to me you could take Camelot, which you have not yet. Not entirely"

Raul attempts to compose himself, but his grip on me tightens to the point of bruising. "This isn't the place for this conversation. Let us continue in the hall."

"A fine idea.", he agrees. Cenred smile gloatingly in my direction, following Raul's guard in the direction of the hall. Raul keeps me back until Cenred is out of earshot.

"Stay away from him.", Raul growls in my ear. "I don't want you near him outside of my presence. And you are _not _to speak to him. At all. Am I clear?"

"Crystal." There was something completely creepy about him. Just the sight of him made my skin crawl, and that wasn't just because he attacked me. It was the way he looked at me, as if he was a starving hunter and I was the first prey he had come across in weeks. I wanted nothing to do with him.

Without another word, he pushes me ahead of him. When we stepped inside the hall, Cenred was already reclined at the head of the table, pigging out on some sort of meat. Morgana sat on the throne, not speaking to him. disgruntled, Raul sat at the other end and forced me take the seat next to him.

"Why have you come here if you do not intend to share your forces?", Raul demands.

"Oh, I didn't say that. I simply don't want to join a losing team. I won't submit my men to defeat. To a war in vain."

"A losing team? Do you not see where you are sitting? At the table of the King of Camelot! They have been run from the palace! If you intend to mock us, Cenred, I suggest you leave.", he says, growing increasingly frustrated.

"No, not mock. But perhaps we could renegotiate.", he says, watching me with hungry eyes. I dropped my gaze, fiddling with the hem of my sleeves.

Raul straightens, intrigued. "Tell me then, what is it you will ask for?"

"Time. With this lovely young woman. Alone.", he says, gesturing to me. "Just an hour or so should suffice."

Raul stands, slamming his fists on the table. I flinch. The water in the goblets tremble from the force. "Absolutely not! She is to be left out of this!"

Cenred shrugs, his eyes still on me. I squirm under his gaze, wishing I could run from the room to get away from him. "That is my price. I will not settle for anything else."

I silently pleaded for Raul to refuse him. And for more than one reason. I sure as hell didn't want to be left alone with this creep. Secondly, more forces would mean even less of a chance for the armies of Camelot to come out victorious. I didn't know how much longer they could hold up against them. Add in Cenred's army, and it was almost certain defeat. And Arthur would refuse to retreat or flee. His men were much to loyal to do otherwise. They would all die.

"Just an hour?", Raul asks, considering. I stared up at him in horror. Just a few minutes ago he didn't want me to ever be in Cenred's sight, now he was contemplating leaving me alone with him?

"That is all I ask. Then my army is at your complete disposal."

Raul sinks back down in his chair, mulling over the offer. For once, I wished I could actually read his mind. But all I could tell was he was a lot less aggressive now.

"What harm could an hour do?", Morgana interjects, walking over to tug on my hair with fake affection. "I'm sure Sarah would be please to entertain him for that short time."

"An hour.", Raul says with finality, looking at my coldly. "That is all."

**I think I literally rewrote this probably five time, which is why it took so long :P Anyways, Hello and thank you to all my new followers and reviewers! And of course, I love all you people who have stuck with me even when it took a whole month for me to post a new chapter. And I don't think I've expressed how stinking shocked I am to have one hundred reviews on 'When Camelot Calls'. Whoa. When I started these stories, I never thought I would get that kind of feedback. You guys are awesome!**


	14. Chapter 14

I stayed seated as the doors of the Hall sealed Cenred and I inside. Morgana smirked at me triumphantly until they were shut, blocking me from her sight. Yet, I would _much _rather be outside with her than inside, than locked away for an entire hour with the king of the creeps.

"I did not ask to be alone with you for the reasons you assume.", Cenred says quietly. I tear my eyes away from the doors to look at him. He had moved to stand on the other side of the table, directly across from me. He drummed his fingers on the back of his chair.

I raise an eyebrow sceptically. "Oh?"

He stares at his feet, for once not looking so self assured. His cocky demeanor seemed to be long gone. "It is... hard to explain." I crossed my arms, not saying a word. "You aren't making this any easier, you know.", he sighs.

"Why did you attack me?", I demand. "Out in the halls."

"Because I needed to wipe out any doubt of Raul's that I might have of my reason for getting to you. And, you, my dear, played your part very well."

"I wasn't playing.", I glared.

"Exactly.", he says gloatingly. "Which is why they believed it."

I took a breath, balling my fists. I would _not _let him see how much he got under my skin. I needed to figure him out. And with the sudden personality change, it might be harder than I originally thought. "Morgana and Raul..." I say. "They don't exactly like you."

He chuckles. "No. But you don't have to like someone to be an ally. I just happen to have something they want."

"An army.", I say, groaning slightly.

"An army.", he agrees, nodding.

"And will you give it to them?", I ask, knowing exactly what will happen if he does. Camelot will be no more. And everyone I've come to care about will go with it. Raul will destroy everything.

He laughs, slowly making his way around the table. "Not exactly."

"Meaning?"

"I mean, I'm not here for your grandfather, or even Morgana. I'm here for _you._ And for what is left of Taharah." I can't speak. He searches my face, looking for a reaction. But I just stare, not knowing how to react. "My allegiance is to you, Princess. I've come to offer you aide."

He was standing directly beside my chair now, offering me his hand. For a moment I just looked at it before hesitatingly taking it and allowing him to help me from my seat. Even standing, he was still much taller. But I refused to let it make me feel childish in comparison. "Why?", I questioned, unsure of his motives. He could be testing me on Raul's behalf.

"Because of something bigger and much older than either of us. Essetir and Taharah have long been allies. Since the days before our fathers. It would be a crime against the treaty between our two lands for me not to attempt to save the heir."

"You are forgetting that my father is king. Now that he has returned, he is ruler. Not I.", I say. The thought of my father being here both terrified me and relieved me. I yearned to see him. To explain this place.

"They say the king has gone mad. You and I both know he is not fit to rule. Even if we can recover Taharah. And he will not be for a long time, if he ever will. You must think sensibly. You are all that is left. Your people are being oppressed. Those who were able have fled. They have given up hope. You must give it back to them. You cannot afford to be your grandfathers hostage any longer.

I shook my head. "You have no idea what you are up against. Raul is a sorcerer. A good one at that. So is Morgana. What will you do against them? They will not take kindly to betrayal."

"Do you think I do not already know this? I have served Morgana, and her sister before her, for years. Do you really think that I am not aware of the risk involved? You may not trust me, but this matter goes beyond that,", he snaps, pulling a dagger from it's sheath on his hip and holding it out for me to see. On it was embossed two figures; A falcon entwined with a snake. The guardians of our kingdoms. Wording in some language carved beneath them.

"What is that?"

"A relic of a time long ago. Old magic ties Taharah and Essetir together.", he says as he allows me to hold it. His fingers brushed mine briefly. It was hard to read his emotions, as opposed to Raul's raw, intense feelings. Cenred had a strong mind, clouded and strong as steel. But I felt no dishonesty either.

"What does it say?", I ask, running my fingers over the hilt.

"'One does not exist without the other.' It is one of the most sacred bonds in history. Unbreakable, and passed down through blood. You can't escape this without me. Nor can I refuse to help."

I dropped my hand. "Well then, what do you propose?"

He smiled in a sideways manner, sheathing the small blade. "I thought you would never ask. Have you noticed the noise outside? Or should I say, the lack of."

"Yes."

"And I suppose you already guessed that there must be a reason for it."

"Of course."

"Raul has called for a meeting, to negotiate with Camelot under the flag of neutrality. Battle has been postponed, for the time being. No Weapons will even be allowed on the premises. Or at least that is what Arthur thinks. He plans on having an archer murder him from the ranks. This shot would of course be impossible, if not for magic. He has enchanted the bow so that it will not miss it's intended target. Chaos will ensue and the army of Camelot will be ill prepared. An easy win, with my forces helping."

"He's planning on killing Arthur?", I squeaked.

Cenred seemed indifferent to this, only nodding. He could care less if Morgana took his crown for herself. But then again, he had only claimed to be interested in _my _well being. Not Camelot's. Could I really trust him? I knew exactly was Arthur or anyone else would say. This man was insane, psychotic, and so was I if I even thought about trusting him.

"It won't work.", I say decidedly.

"Perhaps. But either way, it'll make a wonderful distraction. Raul will want to flaunt you. Take you with him to parade you in front of Camelot and your men to discourage them and break their morale. It'll make an excellent opportunity for you to slip away."

I scoffed. "And go where? He'll find me. It won't matter where I go. I can't stop him."

"Then you know what you need to do?", He says, handing me the dagger.

I stepped away from him. "I can't! He'll see right through me!"

"You underestimate yourself."

"You don't know me.", I snap.

"Fair enough.", he concedes. "But you seemed to handle Morgana's guards easily enough."

"When?", I asked. "The meeting, I mean."

"Soon. Your grandfather isn't exactly a patient man. He wants this war over with so he can finish out his plans."

"Would you stop calling him that?", I scowled.

He shrugs. "As you wish."

I stare at the door. "You know? What he plans to do after this is done?"

"Apprentice you to Morgana. He hopes she will convince you to stop siding with the Pendragon's. That is all I've been told.

I bit my lip, pacing like a lunatic and mulling over everything. Glancing at the clock, I knew time was running out.  
"I'll do it.", I said firmly. I sounded more confident than I was, but what was my choice? I was the only one who could get close enough to do it. The only one he wouldn't suspect. Because as much as he distrusted me, he doubted my ability to do anything but run. And I was done running. What had it brought me but pain and loss?

Silently he drew the dagger back out and places it in my hands. "There can be no turning back.", he warned.

I close my hand around the hilt, hiding it in the folds of my sleeves. "No turning back."

Cenred turned to leave.

"Wait." He turned back to me. "I have a favor to ask."

* * *

Neither Raul nor Morgana spoke to me once the doors opened again. Raul glowered at Cenred's back as he left the hall.

"Take her out.", Raul says lazily, not even looking at me. "I have some things to attend to."

One of his men seizes my arm and leads me from the room. He takes me in the opposite direction of my room. "Where are we going?" He doesn't answer me. He squares his jaw, looking straight ahead instead of at me. His grip on my arm tightens.  
"Ow!"

He stops at one of the empty guest suites, and fumbles to get the keys from his belt while still keeping hold of me. When he finally removes them and unlocks the door, I'm shoved inside.

Two ladies I've never seen before stood in the center of the room. Behind me, the door clicked shut and locked. That was becoming a thing for me, getting locked inside places.

The eldest of the three placed her hand on my shoulder, smiling sympathetically at me as she guides me behind the dressing screen. She stripped me of my gown before examining my wrappings and replacing them. I managed to keep the dagger hidden within the folds of fabric as the dress lay crumpled on the floor.

She furrowed her brow disapprovingly at the bruises I had accumulated over the last few days. Lastly, she helped me into an extravagant black dress, trimmed with gold around the waist, hem, and sleeves. I knew immediately that Morgana had chosen it.

After she finished lacing me loosely into it, she sat me in a chair and forced me to drink a tonic while another one of the women weaved gold strands into a thick braid over my shoulder. To finish, they powdered my face to cover up my inflamed nose and placed a black cloak over my shoulders, drawing the hood low over my head.

"I need a moment alone.", I said pleadingly, going slightly overboard with the helpless look. They looked at each other uncertainly before knocking on the doors. They opened and they left.

I quickly left my seat and retrieved the dagger. The cloak offered me more hiding places, and easier access. I tucked it into my belt, against my back where it was completely out of sight. It made me feel safer to have a weapon again, even if it was miniscule compared to a sword.

I had barely concealed it and sat back down before the doors opened once again. Morgana leaned against the door frame, smiling crookedly at me. "Beautiful morning for a ride, don't you think?"

**Sorry I've been gone so long guys. I don't really have an excuse other than lack of inspiration. I re-wrote this chapter probably about eight times, and it still doesn't feel right. I don't really care for it. And you can tell that I enjoy writing dialogue. But I haven't abandoned this story, and I will at some point finish it! Basically I found this picture (I'll put a link on my profile), and it was just _Sarah._ Exactly how I imagine her. It was pretty much the reason I started working at this chapter again. You may thank Pinterest.  
And THANK YOU to everyone who stuck with, and read/reviewed this story during my absence. You guys are the reason this story has continued past chapter 1. I love reading all of your comments!**


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